


Wild Things

by Kirby_Stilinski



Series: Septiplier Recycling Bin ㄟ(≧◇≦)ㄏ [13]
Category: Septiplier - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Anorexia, Anxiety Attacks, Crime Fighting, Drama, Enemies By Night, Felix Is Just There, Friends By Day, Friends to Lovers, Jack's The Hero, M/M, Mark's The Villain, Mild Smut, Not youtubers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shyness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-20 02:39:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 50,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7387273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirby_Stilinski/pseuds/Kirby_Stilinski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Based Off A Tumblr Prompt]</p><p>Sean/Jack McLoughlin is beginning his second year at the university, excited and prepared for what was to come, although...he was not entirely sure on how to feel about getting a new roommate.<br/>Ever since he discovered his "abilities" as he grew up, he decided he will use them to help others. But a new foe appears and is making it his mission for Jack's life to be a living-fucking-hell.</p><p>Not only that, but he isn't entirely aware that his roommate has secrets of his own and how he wasn't the person that Jack made him out to be.</p><p>In this story of hidden truths, broken trust, and unintentional love; these two idiots face the life-changing chapter of their lives that can either define if they're meant to do something for the greater good... or hide themselves within the folds of society today.</p><p>OR</p><p>The prompt where Person A is a superhero,  Persom B is a supervillain and in their true identities they are roomates/lovers/friends and patch each other up without any questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving In

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this Prompt first! Then one that was submitted, then the Last Of Us one around the time of the other one. 
> 
> ENJOY THIS FLUFFY AND SMUTTY SHIT, LADIES AND GENTLEHOES!!!

The young Irishman had recently moved into his new dorm on the university campus. The previous year, he was lucky enough to have a two person dorm all to himself, but now he had realized that his luck ran out. Knowing fully well he would have a new roommate, Jack had gotten here as early as possible to start setting his belongings on his side of the room. It was a cloudless day outside, the sun shining brightly and mere hot on everyone's backs as they moved into their new assigned dorms.

Sean/Jack McLoughlin was your average 20-something with a history of living in Ireland. Studying at one of the best Fine Arts programs in the world, he was aiming to be a photographer for film and screenplay. He admired photography since he was getting into the ages of Puberty. Always fascinated by the history of photography and the successful designs and angles you could take with it made him intrigued. Now he was pursuing his dream by going to this university.

He began dropping off his belongings in the dorm with help of his best friend, Felix [Pewds], and then by return he would help the latter with his own. They spent nearly an hour or so during their process and finally settling into their dorms with all their belongings. Jack had begun to unpack his boxes in an orderly fashion:

First, he decided he would unpack all the objects that he hung on his walls. From posters, to admirations, even to sweet memories. He unboxed the posters and began tapping them on the wall, since it was university regulation that you do not leave any permanent damage to the dorms themselves. The Irishman strung them all up in a neat but intricate fashion, In abstract but readable positions, he had My Chemical Romance, KISS, Fall Out Boy, Twenty One Pilots, The Beatles, Florence + The Machines, and (from a stupid bet from Felix) Ke$ha. Jack felt content with the posters and continued to place family/friend photos on the wall, small artifacts he kept, and even strung up tiny little cameras above his bed for fun.

Secondly, he unboxed the bed supplies. Basic things like an extra two pillows, some bedsheets, a comforter and some extra blankets in case he needed them; which in all honesty, he needed them. He made his bed, smoothing out the creases in the sheets carefully and tucking the loose ends under the provided mattress. Next, he placed his pillows arbitrarily on the head of the bed and tossed the blankets on the other end in an orderly fashion.

Thirdly, he unboxed the rest of his belongings which we not as mattered like the rest. He had his office supplies to put on his own small desk, he let his roommate have a bigger one, like the laptop he had, some regular day-today necessities that range from sticky notes to a calendar, pencil sharpener and a cup to hold his writing tools. He put in a drawer underneath his bed his camera equipment and began folding the boxes that carried his belongings flat  and underneath his bed. He left one small box by the door and cursed in Irish silently as he went over to retrieve it. It had all his music albums. He smiled, remembering the memories he and his friends made as they danced like idiots to these songs. He slid the box under his bed, to be opened another day.He began unpacking his clothes and such into the small closet on his side of the room. He hung his suit in the very back, secluded from the rest of his clothes and turned off the light.

Ever since he was a child, Jack knew he was different. He had grown up discovering new things about him over the years and was afraid of himself, even. His parents would freak out and not know what to do about it, but he got the hang of it eventually. You see, it all started when he was only Four years old.

He had just turned Four, he was going on throughout the day, having a small party with just the family when everything just stopped. The world completely paused around him before spinning back into control. Jack was so scared that he had his first ever anxiety attack. He began discovering new abilities since then. He learned how to stop objects or things in general, but not everything like he did the first time ever. Then, he discovered in a few years later that he could change his appearance, but only his hair color and eye color. His eyes shimmered a bright, emerald green whenever he felt powerful emotions, whether it was love or anger, sadness or happiness. He also learned he could control his own body, like slowing down or speeding up the vibrations of his vocal chords for different tones, and he could also create some sort of shield around him that deflected anything. Oh, and he could fly.

Jack had come from Ireland to study in the states for his last two years of High School and that was when he met Felix. Ecstatic as he was to have met someone with the same interests, he was also the only one who knew about his powers (other than his family). Felix helped him control his powers and was also monitoring his progress for some reason. Jack was still grateful to have him though. They worked together in helping Jack master his abilities, helping him control them a lot more.

As Jack finished with his closet, he made his way to the bed when he heard the dorm room open. he turned his head to see an extremely handsome guy his age walk in with a couple of boxes. 

-"Do ye need any help?" Jack asked.

-"No, no. I'm fine. I just gotta... gotta.. uh.." the guy said as he tried to keep his balance. Jack walked over in a hurry to help steady the boxes in his arms.

-"Here, I got you." Jack said as he led them toward the bed. Once they set the boxes down carefully, Jack looked at him. He had a dark blue shirt, some jeans and adorable hair.

-"A-are you, uh, Sean McLawlin?" he asked. Jack stifled a laugh and nodded his head.

-"Call me Jack. Real name's Sean, but call me Jack, yeah. And it's McLoughlin. hehe." Jack said as he rubbed his thumb across the back of his hand, a habit he had when nervous.

-"oh, great to know. Name's Mark. Mark Fischbach." the sexy hunk-- _MARK. His name is Mark_ \-- said, sticking out his hand. Jack gladly took it and shook it twice.

-"So yer mah new roommate, eh?" Jack asked. Mark shrugged and nodded.

-"Seems like it. I didn't realize I'd be stuck with such an attractive... Scottish man like you?" Mark said, attempting to guess his accent's origin. Jack blushed.

-"Irish." Jack replied with a completely manly giggle as Mark literally facepalmed.

-"ah shit. What a great start, right?" Mark said. Jack nodded his head, dropping his hand after trying to hold back his flirty giggle.

-"'M guessin' yer Hawaiian?" Jack asked. Mark smiled brightly and a small tint of pink on his face.

-"Yeah, I was born there, actually." he replied. Jack nodded his head in understanding, feeling a heat in his cheeks and ears.

-"So, uh. What're you majoring in?" the American asked as he turned and began unboxing some of his things. Jack sat on the edge of his bed, hands placed underneath his thighs.

-"Well, I'd like to be a film photographer one day so I'm majoring in Photography." he stated, feeling it a little obvious after stating the career he wanted to pursue. Mark nodded his head and turned to face him with a football Jersey in his hand.

-"Oh cool. I'm aiming to be a wedding photographer." Mark replied. Jack's eyes brightened at the statement and felt a smile growing.

-"Really? Wow! That mus' be amazin'!" he exclaimed.

-"Well after what you said, mine sounds kinda sad." he honestly replied. Jack rolled his eyes at the statement and focused on Mark placing a football Jersey on the wall.

-"Oh, ye did American football?" Jack asked, attempting a different change of subject.

-"huh? Oh, ha, yeah. B-but this isn't.. uh.. mine." Mark said as he felt himself growing sad. Jack noticed the slight drop in his tone.

-"Oh.." Jack said to that.

-"yeah.. it's my... my boyfriend's-- _ex_ -boyfriend's." Mark said with a slightly sad tone. Jack didn't want to pursue on the subject anymore.

-"Oh. um.. alright." Jack replied as he turned his attention away. Mark turned back around with a smirk growing on his lips.

-"Hey, do you like video games?" Mark asked. Jack's smile reappeared.

* * *

Jack was getting accustomed to having a new roommate. They had many similar interests and had so much fun talking to each other. Jack had been settling back in with school, having visited his family in Ireland all summer was a blast, but now he had to focus on getting his degree.

Working hard and taking many pictures, he and Mark hung out often and realized that had almost the same classes. The only difference in their schedules was that Mark had a  Color Piece class in the morning and Jack had a Film class at noon. other than that, their classes were the same and they spent so much time together and getting to know one another.

The American learned that he was really loud, clever and very happy all the time. The Irishman learned that the other was really into working out and very intelligent as well. Their passion for video games and terrible jokes was very intriguing. And this was only the first week.

One night, after coming back from a workout, Mark hopped into the shower while Jack looked at different slides he had to study for his film class to see the difference in the angles from the exact same scene. It was giving Jack a bit of a headache as he tried to find all the differences between them when he saw Mark walk out of the bathroom, towel draped low on his hips and workout clothes in his hand. Jack was staring and blushing a deep red seeing Mark almost half naked. He practically slammed his notebook over his legs to hide his sudden... expression of approval. Mark looked back and briefly saw him look away. Mark blushed.

Later that night, Mark suddenly turned off his laptop on his desk and began settling into bed with just his boxers, leaving the shirt on the chair. Jack placed his headphones in long ago and looked through Tumblr. When he saw in his peripheral vision that Mark turned off his desk lamp, Jack decided he needed to sleep as well and placed his phone to charge right beside him.

-"Hey Mark?" Jack called out randomly.

-"Hmm?" he got in return.

-"Whenever ye go work out... how come ye never use a car?"

He heard nothing in response except small shuffling from his side of the room.

-"I just don't.." Mark replied. Jack pulled out his headphones completely and tried to see him in the dark, the only exception being the small light coming from outside the window, between their sides of the room.

-"Well why not? Do ye not have yer driver's license?" Jack asked. He got a huff.

-"I just don't, okay?" Mark replied slightly sharper than before.

-"Okay..." Jack replied as he settled back in bed. Before he went to sleep he thought he heard Mark say something silently, but he wasn't sure if he heard correctly:

-"Not since Matt..."


	2. Wilford & Sam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack discovers he's not the only person with abilities in the town,
> 
> Mark and Jack get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO. Two chapters posted on the same day bc the last one was too short for my liking, so have a full on chapter! 
> 
> ENJOY!

Jack/Sam was cruising through the city, high above the very few buildings that were low level skyscrapers. He was looking down at the city he has been helping for the past year and a half. Content with no new crime tonight, he began floating down and making his way back to the university when he was suddenly smacked backwards and spiraled backwards before slamming into a wall and falling on the escape railing of a building. Jack felt slightly dazed and looked up to see the silhouette of a broad male figure.

-"Um... okay that kinda h'rt" Jack mumbled. The man chuckled in a slightly dark voice.

-"You think I care?" He replied. Jack rolled his eyes.

-"Well, nice tah meet ye too." Jack grumbled with his accent before using his ability to move the vocal chords and his tongue to match an American accent again.

-"Nice to know I'm not the only one with powers around here..." The man said as he suddenly began floating towards Jack.

-"Well, care to be friends?" Jack asked, sticking out his hand. Jack couldn't exactly see him from how dark it was in the small space between buildings, but he could tell he was smirking.

-"No." He said as he grabbed Jack's hand and flung him into the other building.

Jack caught himself right before hitting the ground and flew up to meet the man again. He had neatly broad shoulders, tussled red hair, a red mask that surrounded his eyes, similar to Jack's bright green one. He was wearing a polyester suit which had a large, white and blocky M with a pink mustache in the middle of it. He had a red cape that reached down to his calves, his suit was grey, red and black. Jack's in the meanwhile... cape was a slightly darker green than his mask, it reached the back of his knees. His suit was a similar design except with green, yellow and a slightly darker gray. The two were sizing each other up before Jack had a bright ide that will probably result in injury.

-"You have nice eyes, mist'r" Jack said in the most southern voice he could muster. The man chuckled at that. He was suddenly right in front of Jack, body's near inches from each other.

-"Do you need savin', darlin'?" The man replied with a husky, southern accent. Jack was suddenly flustered and looked down to see how high above they were. He felt a finger lift his chin up to meet his slightly red, glowing eyes. They had a tint of brown in between the small cracks of red glow in his iris.

Jack felt his breath against his nose, and then the man was slowly leaning in... slowly... slowly... _slowly--_

-"I'm the one in charge of this place from now on.. got it, _SamSepticeye?_ " The man grumbled. Jack had no time to react when he felt himself getting hauled up by the man before being thrown down to the ground again. Jack's body slammed into the railing and down to land on top of a dumpster lid... before rolling off of it and landing on the stone cold ground.  "Remember my name, Sam...." the man chuckled from the rooftop. Jack groaned at his pain. "Wilford... Wilford Warfstache" he said before flying off.

* * *

Jack was limping toward his dorm building before climbing up the two flights of stairs and reaching his room. He threw open the door and let out a sigh as he collapsed in the doorway.

-"Jack?" Mark called out as he peeped his head from his desk to see his roommate on the ground. "Shit, man... are you waisted?" Mark laughed.

-"I-it hurts.." Jack whispered. Mark came to full attention to that and stood up from his desk and made his way toward Jack and helped him up.

-"dude, are you okay?" Mark asked as he led Jack into the bathroom, sitting him on the closed toilet seat and rummaging the bathroom for First-Aid Kit supplies.

-"I-I don't know?" Jack replied. Mark let out a silent victory call as he pulled the small kit from the cupboard below the sink. He kneeled in front of Jack and placed the kit on his legs before opening it and looking for supplies. Mark got a cotton ball and some alcohol to swig it with, dabbing it along the small cut on Jack's eyebrow.

The Irishman hissed at the sudden sting from it, but managed with it. He let the American finish it with a Band-Aid before looking at him expectantly.

-"Wot?" Jack asked.

-'Well... where else are you hurting..?" Mark asked. Jack realized what he meant after a second before he lifted his shirt and showed Mark the black, purple and blue bruise than ran along most of his side. Mark winced at it before nodding his head and rummaging through the kit some more. After Mark attended to his wounds, he slowly led Jack out and to his bed, closing the dorm room and locking it.

-"Sorry for bein' a burden..." Jack said with a wry smile. Mark shook his head and waved his hand down.

-"It's no problem, really..." Mark said. Jack gave him an appreciated look, Mark's cheeks began to pink a little before turning around. Now... Jack would saw he saw a small shimmer of red in Mark's eyes, but he'll just blame it on the painkillers.

Jack was sitting on his bed and looking up at the ceiling when he suddenly felt his hair tugging on its own. This usually happened to Jack when he was changing his appearance to keep his identity hidden, his hair would feel like it's being tugged on its own and it would suddenly be a bright green. Jack willed himself to calm down and his hair returned to it's normal brown color. Jack looked over to see Mark's little peaked black hair. Jack smiled a little and accidentally let out a small laugh. Mark froze in the middle of typing on his laptop and Jack saw a small tint of red suddenly grow a little ways from the base of his hair before it returned to black. Jack blinked twice before registering his hair was still black.

 _Damn, these painkillers are making me see shit..._ Jack thought to himself before closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

* * *

When Jack finally went to sleep, a small snore coming from the Irishman, Mark let out a breath he was holding. He let his mind wander to the Irishman. the way his smile made him get butterflies, the small movements his hands make when he talks. Mark felt himself falling for the little dopish man. But he was afraid to express his emotions. In the process of his thinking, he felt his hair changing colors between Blue, Pink, Red and Black. Mark willed himself to stop, his hair luckily stopping back to Black. Mark looked down at his feet, suddenly shocked to se he was still wearing his red boots. He quickly took them off and shoved them into the small box where the rest of his suit was. He let out a sigh of relief, praying that Jack didn't notice. He also wanted to tell Jack about his... abilities.

you see, ever since Mark was a kid, he was able to do things other kids couldn't. His parents were afraid of the things Mark could do. From flying around the house, to randomly setting things of fire, even to changing his hair and eye colors. What scared them the most was the red shimmer his eyes would get when he felt too strong of emotions. from being scared, to overly excited, even to falling in love. Mark was always struggling with this as he grew up, each year finding a way to control these abilities and also discovering a new one every so often. So far, he's discovered he could set things ablaze, change his hair and eye appearance, grow a sudden mustache, feel the level of frequency an object has, melt things, and fly. Mark was always afraid of his powers back when he was younger, but now he used them.. well... he rarely used them for personal gain but he preferred using them for some helpful reasons. Whether it's robbing a bank to give money to charity, or finding information from people only to help others struggling with it. Hell, he even reported and stopped a drug cartel.

But now... he wants to have some fun with this hero the town has. "SamSepticEye". Mark was a little jealous at the fact he was here before him and was basically the hotshot of the city, and Mark quite frankly wanted to make things a little lively for them both. Mark heard rumors in coffee shops and waiting in line at the grocery store saying "he wasn't of the hetero figure..."

Now Mark honestly would have passed this as old lady gossip, but tonight was definitely proof that it was true. Leaning in so close to him, he wasn't backing away anytime soon. And Mark had him right there. Hook-Line and Sinker. Now Mark knew he could get the guy flustered as much as he wanted. Mark smirked a little. The memory of hurting the guy reminded Mark of his roommate who had a deep bruise on his side. Mark chose not to ask questions, hopeful that whenever Jack was ready that he'll tell him. Mark prayed he wasn't falling for some adrenaline junkie though. And with that, he turned around in his chair to continue typing his essay.

* * *

 

-"The fuck do you mean there's somebody else?!" Felix exclaimed. Jack pulled Felix away from the sidewalk and against the science building.

-"I mean... that the other night, there's someone else with.. y'know" Jack mumbled.

-"Superpowers?" Felix asked.

-"Don't call it that. Ye make it soun' like I'm in a comic.." Jack hissed. Felix rolled his eyes.

-"yeah yeah... So what were his.. abilities.." Felix asked. Jack sighed.

-"I don't know. But he can fly. I know that much." Jack replied. Felix nodded his head before they began walking back toward the dorm buildings.

-"Well.. have you tried being friends?" Felix asked. Jack nodded his head.

-"Yeah, didn't seem tah like me that much." Jack replied as he indicated his bruise. Felix chuckled.

-"Ooh, maybe he can be like... like a supervillain, y'know? I can see the headlines already! SamSepticEye and mortal enemy" Felix said, daydreaming. Jack gave him a light shove as they both burst into laughs.

-"Yer such a pain in me arse.." Jack said as their laughter died down.

-"Look! It's a bird!" a girl exclaimed as she pointed above her little stand with SamSepticEye merchandise.

-"No, it's Sam!" a guy shouted.

-"No! This guy is red. Sam's green!" another guy exclaimed to the two. They all looked up to see a man with a red cape and suit, high above them to see quite clearly. Suddenly, a small ball of fire came barreling down and landed on the stand. The three students shouted in sudden terror as their stand caught on fire. Then the figure flew away.

-"Oh my god!"

-"Did you see that too?"

-"What was that?"

-"Was that SamSepticEye?"

Students were mumbling and exclaiming at the sudden events. Jack and Felix looked at each other with the same thought.

-"Is that the new guy?" Felix asked.

-"Yup." Jack replied as he shouldered his bag. They made the rest of the way to the Boys dorm rooms. As they reached their floor, they heard a door slam and Jack cocked an eyebrow.

-"The hell?" Felix wondered aloud. "whatever, good luck with your roommate. Mine's an ass..." Felix groaned as he threw open the door and entered. Jack continued walking a little ways before entering his own dorm room and found Mark shirtless.

-"Oh shite! Jaysus! fok! sorry!" Jack exclaimed as he tried shielding himself.

-"it's alright, I don't mind if you look." Mark said, trying so hard not to blush. But failing.

-"w-what're ye doing anyway?" Jack asked.

-"I spilt coffee on my shirt this morning." Mark said, referencing  a brown stained shirt. He grabbed a camera and hung it around his neck. "Hey, you don't mind if I take some pictures of you, right?" jack thought of this. of course, they needed pictures of people as an assignment for one of their classes and now would be a perfect time to get them since their next class wasn't until tomorrow so...

-"Only if I can take some of you." Jack decided. Mark smiled.

-"Deal."

* * *

 

After having too much fun taking pictures of each other, Mark called it quits and notified him he was on his way to work out.

-"You sure you don't wanna come? I can get you _ripped._ " Mark said as he flexed his arms _oh so hotly_ while wearing his muscle shirt. Jack was tempted to say yes just to see him but shook his head. "your loss, Jackaboy." and closed the door behind him.

Jack instead took the time to look up any news on this new red guy, Warfstache. He did some research and was surprised to see there was an article. It was about a small town in Ohio and how someone robbed a bank and left a pink, spray painted W with the name Wilford under it. Jack saved the article and wondered if the same guy must have come from there. He pushed the thought from his mind and instead decided to work on an essay he had to do.

Once he hit Save, Jack relaxed a little and stretched. He looked at the time and was shocked to see it was almost 9. He decided he'd "play heroe" tomorrow since he was feeling slightly exhausted. He left the dorm and locked the door behind him to go over to Felix's.

Knocking on his dorm room, he saw a man with a black-eye and a bandage on his eyebrow open the door. He looked apologetically at him.

-"Oh. hehe... you're the.. the.. the Irish guy from my film class.." the guy said, sounding either drunk, tired, or both.

-"Uhm.. yes?" jack replied, not exactly recognizing him.

-"hehe.. yeah. FE!! You're friend is here!" he shouted. Jack heard a faint 'coming'. Jack saw him looking him and down before smiling.

-"Hey.. are you roomies with Matt's guy?" he asked.

-"W-who?" jack asked.

-"Matt. Oh god, let me tell you. So he was driving with.. god.. what was his name? I forgot. anyway, they were driving and--"

-"Okay, don't scare away my friends Matthew." Felix scolded.

-"Sorry.. I'll tell you some other time." Matthew said as he walked back into the dorm. Felix leaned against the doorway.

-"Hey." he said.

-"He doesn't seem like an asshole to me." Jack said.

-"yeah, well. Your roommate didn't happen to leave all his shit strewn across the room after getting in a fight, did he?" Felix asked, pointedly. Jack laughed.

-"Jesus. Well, how's pizza sound?" Jack asked. Felix hissed and threw his eyebrows up in fake-pain.

-"Sure, why not?" Felix said as he went back in to grab a coat and wallet and came back out, closing the door. "I'm going out, Pattrick!" Felix exclaimed before locking the door. Both began their walk through the campus and saw the sun was past setting down. They reached the small pizza parlor the campus had and they picked a booth to sit in. A waitress walked up to them and handed them menus.

-"Hey there. I would you the specials but _someone_ dropped them in a sink full of water." she said, glaring at someone in the kitchen.

-"IN MY DEFENSE--"

-"Oh shut up, Wade." she said, rolling her eyes. "What'll you two have... or at least to drink." She said. Felix ordered water and Jack looked at the list of drinks.

-"Do you offer alcohol? He's Irish." Felix said with a smug smile. Jack rolled his eyes and softly kicked him under the table.

-"haha, yer a fookin pain." Jack said, eyeing at him as he stuck his tongue out.

-"We have a couples special, I remember that much." she suddenly said.

-"What?" Jack deadpanned.

-"oh no.. no no no.." Felix said, laughing a little. "You see.. he's gay. I'm just--"

-"The term in pansexual" Jack reprimanded as he kicked him under the table.

-"Ow! sorry." Felix replied, shrugging in mercy.

-"I'm just messing with you two, jesus." the waitress said after laughing. Felix blinked dazedly at her.

-"You a beautiful laugh.." Felix said without thinking. Jack hid in his laugh, a short outburst before holding it in. Felix looked at them both with fear. "s-sorry..." he mumbled.

-"I'll have a Sprite." Jack said. She laughed a little and walked away. Then Jack burst out laughing.

-"Fuck you." he said. Jack kept laughing.

After they finished their food, with her giving Felix a wink as they paid, Jack made his way back to the dorm, bidding Felix a good night. He saw the large clouds above them on their way back slightly covering the small crescent shape of the moon, the still air made it seem almost like Ireland again.

The brown haired man couldn't will himself to sleep so he tossed and turned a little before deciding to listen to music to calm him a little, not wanting to hear Mark's snores anymore.

He let the large speakers in his ears blasting the synchronized beats from Sia's _Elastic Heart_ when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Jack opened his eyes to see a rather frightened Mark looking at him in the dark.

-"Jesus fook!" Jack exclaimed but saw Mark flinch at the loud noise. Jack saw Mark looking frightened and hunched over on himself.

-"s-sorry. I-I didn't mean to wake y-you.." Mark replied in a hushed, but scared tone. Jack furrowed his eyebrows together before hearing a loud clap of thunder and saw Mark suddenly flinch violently and fall backwards, hitting his back on the edge of his bed. He covered his face with his hands and curled up into a ball. Jack didn't even realize it was a thunderstorm until he heard the noise startle him. He got out of his bed and carefully took a few steps to reach Mark.

-"A-are ye okay?" Jack asked as he neared him, his arm outstretched to show friendliness to Mark. Instead, the American clutched onto his arm and pulled Jack closer. Jack was suddenly on his knees and wrapped his arms around Mark awkwardly as he saw him shiver.

-"Make it stop. Make it stop." He suddenly whispered. Jack was so confused when he heard another clap of thunder and felt him shake violently underneath him. Jack, instinctively, wrapped his arms tighter on Mark and felt his shoulder get wet as Mark began crying into it.

-"M-Mark?" Jack asked, worriedly.

-"I told him to hit the brakes. a-and he hit the brakes. He hit the fucking brakes. I swear.. h-he hit the fucking brakes..." Mark murmured between sobs. Jack looked down at him concerned. "I told Matt to hit the fucking brakes..."

Jack was so confused for a moment before he realized what was going on.

Could Felix's roommate meant that the Matt he was talking about was the same one Mark didn't talk about?

Jack didn't know, but he decided he might as well find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I am trying really hard to have a slow build between these two so I'm struggling so much right now xD  
> Feedback is definitely welcome!
> 
> AND OMG, I AM SO SO SORRY. THESE TWO CHAPTERS WERE POSTED 3 DAYS EARLY. THE NEXT CHAPTER MIGHT TAKE A WHILE


	3. Good Boys And Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark wakes up to a shocking situation and confines in his closest friend for help,
> 
> Felix connects with the waitress at the pizza parlor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit.  
> I posted the other two chapters three days early.  
> Fuuuuuuccckkkk 
> 
>  HOLY SHIT I AM SO SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE. I HAD NO WIFI FOR A WHILE BUT I'M BACK. OMG.
> 
> ENJOY THIS.

Mark woke up to feel safe again. He felt relatively safe. and happy. and strangely warm.

He cracked open his eyes a little to se daylight flood through them, the soft ambiance of their dorm captivating him for a second. He could take a picture almost of how beautiful the view of Jack's bed with the sunlight shining through at the early crack of dawn looked like.

Jack. Who was no in bed?

 _Shit._ Mark thought as he suddenly noticed the Irishman slightly mewl as her repositioned himself, clinging onto Mark more comfortably but in a sleep. Mark suddenly remembered last night's events.

The storm. And then he woke up Jack. And the thunder. And--

_-"BABE, HIT THE BRAKES!" he shouted as the headlights shone in his eyes, the sounds of breaking glass filling his ears and--_

-"MATT!" Mark suddenly shouted as he stood up, Jack falling backward and being startled awake.

Mark looked around him and his mind played tricks with his eyes. Sceneries flashing between each other. Jack's bed. Highway. Their dorm. their car. Matt... Jack...

-"M-mark? Are ye okay? Shit, Mark--" Jack said as he stood up and reached for him. And for a second, Mark saw the police officer reach out for him instead of Jack.

-"No don't TOUCH ME!" Mark shouted as he threw his arm out and backhanded Jack. He looked down to see Jack laying beside his roommate's bed, holding his face and groaning a little. "shit.. oh g-god I'm sorry. Shit I'm sorry, Jack..." Mark said, hurriedly and retracting in on himself.

-"Mark.. it's okay.." Jack began to reply.

-"shit. Shit I'm sorry. god. I can't. shit," Mark mumbled as he quickly ran out of the dorm and ran down the hall in his pj pants and a loose white shirt.

-"Mark!" Jack exclaimed. But he was gone.

* * *

 -"Okay, so what you're saying is that Matt is his... boyfriend?" Felix asked, looking at the Irishman with some confusion. Jack rolled his eyes and stared right at him with a dubious look.

-"Really?" Jack asked. Felix threw his arms out in bewilderment at his friend's arbitrary statement and knocked his cup off the library table. Jack's eyes turned a bright green and focued on the cup immediately, it's fall slowing down almost completely. Jack reached with fast reflexes and grabbed the cup and placed it back on their table. His eye reduced to it's normal white and his iris shimmered from a dark aquamarine color to a bright emerald.

-"Jesus--!" Felix exclaimed seeing his friend's rapid reactions. He looked around quickly to make sure nobody was watching. He turned back around and narrowed his eyes at Jack who smiled sheepishly.

-"Sorry.." Jack mumbled.

-"you can't just do that! Especially in public!" the Swedish man hissed. Jack rolled his eyes.

-"Yeah yeah. I know. But it was either riskin' it or letting Mr. Hanson stare at yer soul with intense library glasses." Jack replied. Felix made a whining noise at how true his best friend was at the moment.

-"hnnngh Okay fine" Felix replied with a curse in Swedish.

-"Yeah. Shut the fok up." Jack replied with a smirk. Felix looked above his bright green hair absentmindedly and saw the waitress from the pizza parlor.

-"Shit.. it's her.." Felix said in awe, looking at her with her strawberry colored hair, slightly curled at the ends. She was flipping through a book on astronomy and she had her lips pursed as she flipped page after page. She looked at her phone and suddenly bit her lip upon supposedly reading it, followed by a wince before she replied. She put away her phone and closed the book in hand, walking over to their librarian, Mr. Hanson.

-" 'y-yer really pretty, Ms. Pizza Parlor Girl' " jack said with a darkish, American accent. " 'well golly, your really pretty too.' 'wanta kiss?' 'sure!' " Jack said trying on the darkish accent and a high pitched girlie voice. He pretended to make-out in mid-air and was slapped in the arm with Felix's notebook.

-"Fuck you." He hissed.

-"Someone should.." Jack replied with a dreamful sigh. Felix looked over his head again and saw her walking out of the library.

-"Hey... so are we done yet?" Felix asked suddenly.

-"Does it look like we're done, ye shite?" Jack asked with a dumbfounded look. Felix nodded his head and began packing up.

-"Y-yeah. Okay, see you in class." he said in a daze as he walked away from their table leaving Jack slack-jawed. He turned in his seat to see his friend walking clumsily after the girl. Jack shook his head and scoffed and pulled out his headphones to continue his homework.

* * *

-"Wow, you really fucking suck a flirting, don't you?" Mark's best friend asked as she walked over to him.

He was currently sitting underneath their hide-out, under a small bridge beside a little river stream ride next to the woods on university campus. The day was fresh from the rain the recent night, the clouds still looming over them as if in appreciation. He quickly stood up and moved over on the mattress they brought to make it more comfortable. She sat down ungracefully and took off her bag.

-"It's not funny, Cyn. It was by far the worst so far." Mark replied. She chuckled as she pulled out a Snapple from her bag and handed it to him.

-"How bad?" She asked. "y'know. On our scale.."

-"It was about.. an eighty?" Mark said, taking a guess. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

-"Wow, that's... intense. Jesus, what was it this time?" she asked.

-"It was.. the thunderstorm.." he said, giving her a side glance.

-"ah.. that makes sense." She replied.

Cynthia Rose was Mark's closest and longest friend. She was always there for him and he was always there for her. From her days when she had her classic peach lipstick, and her vibrantly red hair curled up with a simple summer dress, to her awful mornings when she didn't even bother wearing a bra and just wore one of his sweatshirts and sweatpants, hair in a loose bun, he was always there to hang out. They had bonded closely since High School, much to his surprise she used to have a crush on him before she discovered she preferred women over men. And much to his own surprise that they came out to each other simultaneously. It was quite ironic.

She was aiming to be a DJ in any kind of music. They had been through all the career phases: the rock star phase, engineers, lawyers, fashion designers and plenty of other embarrassing phases their classmates would gladly tell. But they both settled on different paths. She chose music, he chose photography. They agreed they would try and recommend one another if it came down to it.

-"It was.. bad. I couldn't even focus correctly. I-I hit him.." Mark said as he felt himself going to dark parts of his mind again.

-"No. Mark, get your head out of there and listen to me." She said as she kneeled in front of him and picked his head up. "You're not going to go crazy. It happens. It's called PTSD and you're sure as hell going to lose it at some point. Hopefully..." she said. Mark nodded his head at her and she sat back beside him against the wall.

-"So I met... Sam.." Mark said, in an attempt to change the subject. She snapped her head to look at him.

-"Wait what?! Already?!" She exclaimed. He loved how enthusiastic she was.

She helped him through the whole 'superpower' thing in High School. He finally had the courage to tell her in their Junior Year. Instead of running away from him, she yelled at him incessantly about why he never brought it up before. Another reason why he enjoyed her as a friend.

-"yeah. And let me tell you... they weren't wrong when they said Sam could be--"

-"As gay as your rainbow underwear?" She cut in, giving him a smirk. He blushed at that.

-"It was for pride month.." he mumbled.

-"Uh-huh. Okay, buddy." She said as she patted his chest and leaned back to her original spot.

-"But in all seriousness.." Mark said, clearing his throat afterwards, "I got him in my hands. It was easy. He fell so hard. Literally." he continued with a smug smile. She sighed and widened her eyes for a minute.

-"Why are you being an ass? Why can't you two just be like... besties or some shit?" Cynthia asked as she looked at Mark with a pained look.

-"Who doesn't love a good competition?" Mark asked with a smirk.

-"Me." She replied as she nudged the black-haired man.

-"Well good thing you're not the one flying around. You'd probably rob a Starbucks or some crazy shit" he said with a laugh. She gave him a serious look before not being able to hold it in and start joining his laughter.

Their laughs echoed off the ridge of the bridge, echoing a small ways away from their spot, enough to alert Felix where they might have been. He began following the noise before finding her leaning into... Jack's roommate. Her hand was on his shoulder and they were laughing immensely at something. Felix's eyebrows creased upwards in sadness.

-"Oh my god! You're such an ass!" She giggled as she smacked his arm.

-"Yeah but at least i'm _your_ ass" Mark joked as their laughter died down. When they finally slowed down to small giggles, she turned her head to see Felix running back down the hill before the bridge.

-"Oh shit! It's that guy!" She squealed as she pointed to his hair going down the other side of the hill. Mark turned his head but too late not being able to see him.

-"I think I missed him." he said as he tried looking up without standing. She sighed.

-"He was flirting me and I didn't have the heart to tell him that... y'know.." she said with a small sigh.

-"Aww, does Cynthia Rose have a crush on somebody?" Mark taunted. She turned her gaze onto him.

-"You and I both know I'm all in for the pussy, not the dick." She said, snapping her fingers when she pronounced both reproductive organs. She cocked an eyebrow at him before she turned her head back in the direction of where the blonde man was just spotted. She raised her head, looking out to see if he maybe stopped or of some sort but gave up looking and turned to see her best friend reading a book instead.

-"Ooh... looky that! Markimoo's got some reading done!" She said, plucking the book in his hands in the process and earning a shocked glare at her motives.

-"My my, how dare you insult my unnoticed love to reading." Mark said with a dramatic, hurt tone. He reached for the book and she giggled as she kept it out of his reach.

-"Ah-ah-ah. May I ask what you are reading, good sir?" She asked in a mock-renaissance voice. He reached once more and she raised an eyebrow. Giving up, the larger of the two complied.

-"It's a journal." He replied simply. The smirk on her lips grew.

-"Oh.. of yours? Let's see what dirty gossip you've got hidden from me, Fischba--"

-"It's Matt's." Mark replied. She stopped her actions of trying to read the book from arm's reach and immediately gave it back.

-"Oh.. sorry." She mumbled as she gave it back and lightly placed her arms in her lap. "I.. didn't mean to be an ass about it.."

Mark sighed and wrapped his arms around her, helping her keep some bit of warmth and also as a gratifying gesture.

-"I should be the one being sorry." He said with sympathy and regret in his voice.

-"Mark, you can't blame yourself for what happened to Matt.." she replied. Mark looked at her sheepishly and turned away from her.

-"Jesus, man. If you're going to be the big, bad scary villain in this town, then you have to at least try and make it through a conversation about him--"

-"I can't!" Mark suddenly exclaimed, twisting his head to meet her eyes, the rage prominent in is voice.

-"Shut the hell up! Yes you can!" She retorted with equal amount of volume. They stared at each other like that for a minute, rage against desperation.

-"I-I.. I just.. can't" he said, lower volume. She looked at him with sad eyes before perking his chin up.

-"Mark.. you cannot let this overtake your life. You need to try and see past it, or go around it at the very _least_. You can't let the accident control you for the rest of your life." she said, patting his shoulder lightly. "Promise me you'll try looking past it."

-"I'll try.. but we both know what happened last ti--"

-"Just try it. For me." she said with a helpless tone in her voice. Mark didn't want her to feel the same pain he did so he promised, but on the inside he wasn't entirely sure he could keep up on that promise.

* * *

 

Jack was running into a bank when he saw everybody was cowered into a corner, a large ring of fire surrounding them. Everyone was whimpering and shouting before they saw him.

-"Oh my god! It's Sam! It's Sam SepticEye!" a woman shouted, pointing over the flames to him. Everyone sent a small fearful cheer of hurrays before a large fireball came hurling at him, blasting him into the wall. Jack slowly stood up on shaky legs to see Wilford flying over the marbled counter and glass panes to land gracefully in front of him with bags of cash in each hand.

-"Oh! Nice to see a familiar face! how are you, Sam?" Wilford taunted in a devilish tone.

-"well, the weather's kinda gloomy. But other than that, I'm doing just fi--!" Jack said, not being able to finish his sentence as another fireball was thrown at him. He was slammed against the wall again and stood up, once more.

-"So _weak_. And you people call _him_ a hero. He's pathetic!" Wilford said, disgust lacing his voice. Jack rolled his eyes and slowly used his power to fly a vase with a plant at him, throwing him off and dropping the money. The scrawnier of the two froze Wilford and took the money bags, taking his time to place them in the safe. He walked back out and smiled seeing him struggling against the strange green aura surrounding him like a bubble, slowing his movements.

-"What the hell is this?!" He exclaimed.

-"Oh my, Wilford. You're looking a bit.. green." Jack said with a smug smile.

-"Fuck you." He muttered. Jack winked. A sudden flash of green sent the flames to slow down to a near stop.

-"Yer safe to come out of there, be careful not to touch the licks of the flames." Jack announced to the workers held captive. They nodded their heads frantically and hopped, one by one through a small gap between flames. Then they unfroze and continued their arbitrary movements.

-"You can't stop me, Sam." Wilford taunted. "Nobody can."

-"Uh-huh. Okay, coz right now you're kinda slow to the idea of the position you're in."

-"Is another superpower of yours terrible puns?" Wilford gritted between his teeth.

-" Why? Are you feeling pun-comfortable?" Jack asked, snapping his fingers with a wink. Wilford growled at him.

-"Y'know. I wonder if this little trick of yours is useful for some kinky sex. What else can you slow down real well?" Wilford said in a sexy tone. Jack's eyes widened and lost concentration at the insane thought, giving Wilford useful time to break out of the bubble and tackle him by the legs. The two men struggled on the ground, rolling around in an attempt to land a punch on the other when they heard police cars outside.

With a smirk, Wilford suddenly flew them upward, crashing through the glass ceiling and soaring above the bank.

-"You think you're hot shit, don't you?"  Sam asked with a smirk.

-"Damn right I do." He replied as he placed a kiss on his lips. They weren't chapped, instead they were a smooth and blissful experience. Their kiss was short-lived, however, as Wilford took him by surprise and sent him spiraling downwards with one swift motion.

Jack was falling through the air and willed himself to catch him, three feet off the ground. Then he let himself fall with a thud and a groan. A policeman ran over and helped him stand.

-"You okay, Sam?" He asked. Jack shook him off and looked up to see him make a cocky form of goodbye with his hand before soaring into the sky and leaving from their view.

-"Fokin' asshat.." he mumbled.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thx for any Kudos and Comments!


	4. 'Jack One, Mark Zero'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack further question's Mark's past when an incident throws off his original perspective on the American,
> 
> Mark makes a horrible mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE ANGST IS UNBEARABLE WITH THIS ONE. OMG.
> 
> Slight Trigger Warnings:  
> Mentions of Anorexic History

-"Alright then, would'ja rather have meh naked then?" Jack asked. Mark blushed red at that.

-"W-what?! No! God No! Unless you want to.." Mark retaliated. Now the Irishman took his turn to blush at the comment.

 -"Just take tha picture of me damnit." Jack mumbled as he tried to cover his blush.

-"Yeah, yeah. okay.. and pose.." Mark said as he held the camera up and looked through the lenses.

He and Jack were sitting in their dorm room around noon, they were on their way to get lunch when Mark suddenly remembered he needed photos for one of their classes and Jack willingly decided to be the model.

Jack decided to use Felix's roommate as his model and had him stand shirtless and pose at different angles.

-"Okay, just uh... slide it off your back." Mark said, pointing to his jacket. Jack sighed but complied with his instructions and slid off his jacket in a Nude-Model fashion. Mark took several photos from different angles on his end. "Alright, now kinda just start taking off your shirt.."

-"Buy me dinner first, jaysus." Jack mocked. Mark swallowed the saliva he had in his throat as he saw Jack slowly take off his shirt. His back was peppered in freckles and small birthmarks. His pale skin contrasting beautifully against the darkness of their room and the small light pouring in from their window. Jack's skin let off a small glow that entranced Mark. "Ye gonna take tha picture or what?" Jack asked.

-"Oh.. yeah, sorry." Mark said, bringing his mindset back onto the photos and not the model. He took three photos of him that way before he got Jack to slowly turn around.

-"C-can ye keep your camera above my stomach?" Jack suddenly asked. Mark looked up, away from the lenses, and looked at Jack blushing profusely and looking at his feet shyly.

-"Jack, there's nothing wrong with you at all.." Mark said. Jack shook his head lightly.

-"I know I just... I'm slightly self-conscious of when I was.. nevermind." Jack said, waving him off and regaining his posture. "Go ahead." Jack said.

-"No, tell me. Now I'm intrigued." Mark said with a smile. Jack looked at his eyes softly before breaking away.

-"Another time, yeah?" Jack said. Mark nodded his head and went back to focusing through the lenses.

They spent nearly an hour going on for taking photos of Jack half-naked before Mark decided he had enough and he would sort them later. Jack put his shirt back on and grabbed his wallet.

-"Ye ready?" Jack asked. Mark nodded his head.

-"Sure, let me just get a better shirt." Mark said as he dug through his closet and grabbed a small blue flannel. As he took off the t-shirt he had on, Jack dared a glance to see Mark and was surprised. Sure, he walked in on him once but it was dark and the only thing illuminating the room was his lamp light, but now Jack could see that the red-haired man had scars. Deep, jagged and spread around his body. From one dipping down his hip and waistline to a small scar right beside his heart.

-"man, are you an organ donor or somethin'?" Jack asked. Mark suddenly whipped his head around to see Jack staring and he quickly buttoned the flannel as fast as he possibly could.

-"No." Mark growled out angrily. jack was taken aback by the tone and clearly showed it. Mark sighed and stopped at the door, looking him straight in the eyes with a pure hatred Jack never wanted to be under again. "Don't you _ever_ watch me change again, Sean. You understand?" he snapped.

Jack cowered and was truly scared for his life at that moment. Jack tore his gaze away from Mark's eyes and looked at the floor to calm himself.

-"Y-yes.." Jack whispered. Mark made a gruff noise and turned to leave. As Mark held the door open he saw Jack standing there awkwardly and looking at Mark with worried eyes.

-"You coming or not?" Mark snapped. Jack flinched at the sudden outburst and he shook his head.  "Fine, suit yourself." Mark mumbled as he slammed the door, causing the green-haired man to flinch even more.

* * *

 

-"You are truly a dumbass." Cynthia said as they walked to their table.

-"don't remind me." Mark mumbled as he sank in his chair and held his head between his hands.

-"Well on the bright side.." she said before looking at a menu. Mark perked his head up slightly to look at her.

-"What's the bright side, cyn?" he asked. She looked up at him and shrugged.

-"dude, I don't know. It's what all those stupid cheesy best friend's say to one another when something went horribly wrong.." she said. Mark rolled his eyes.

-"Oh hey! You're the girl from the pizza parlor." Felix said as he walked next to their table, he eyed Mark cautiously before making a light scoff. Mark fixed his attention on to him.

-"Oh yeah, you're the gay best friend!" She exclaimed back. Felix's eyes widened.

-"Oh, no no. I'm not the gay one, he is.. hehe.." Felix replied as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

-"I'm just kidding, bruh. By the way, meet _my_ gay best friend, Mark." She said as she greeted the broader man. He raised his posture and smiled weakly at Felix who suddenly widened his eyes.

-"Wait-- Oh... I thought.. you two.. were.. dating.." Felix said slowly. She laughed and Mark chuckled.

-"oh no, you see he likes dick while I--"

-"Are currently single, am I right Cynthia?" Mark suddenly interjected. Cynthia's eyes widened at Mark as he smirked.

-"yes. I am _very much_ single.." She said, eyeing at her friend.

-"Oh cool, so am I. I mean-- I'm not single, okay I am but Like.. so am I. I'm single too. In case.. you.. wanted to know" Felix stuttered. Mark sighed and decided to turn his attention to the menu.

-"uh huh... well nice seeing you, Felix." She said with a wave. Felix waved and walked away from their table. "You fucking asshat." she snapped as Mark tried to hide his laugh behind the menu.

-"oh god, that was hilarious." Mark said as his laughter died down.

-"Haha, I'm just _dying_ of laughter." She said sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at him.

-"good evening, anything you'd like to drink?" a waiter asked.

-"Yeah, he'd like you on a silver platter. Lube included" Cynthia suddenly said. Mark turned red as the waiter began chuckling.

-"I'm sure he would..." the waiter with a chuckle. "Seriously though, what would you like to drink?"

-"Dr. pepper.." Mark said.

-"Pfft, basic bitch. I'll have a Cherry Limeade." she said. The waiter smiled and walked away.

-"Wow, way to scare off our waiter." Mark said, she punched his arm across the table.

-"Fuck yourself." She said with a grin.

-"With pleasure.." Mark replied as he made fake-orgasm faces.

-"Oh my god. Stop!" She squealed, giggling at his antics.

-"No but seriously, I can't believe I let myself go.." Mark suddenly said as they stopped their laughs. Cynthia gave him a sympathetic shrug.

-"Do you think he'll understand if you explain why--"

-"I'm not going to tell him.." Mark said, looking at her seriously. "I don't.. want him to treat me like I'm fragile.." Mark whispered. She sighed and rolled her eyes at him.

-"Bitch, the only fragile thing about you is your hair. Like for real. But you have to tell him at some point. If you want to try and get with him then you _have_ to tell him at some point. Your scars are.. pretty noticeable.." she said, raising an eyebrow.

-"He already saw them and he thought I was a fucking organ donor." Mark deadpanned. She let out an apologetic hiss at that and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

-"Wow. Jack One, Mark Zero." She said. Mark sighed.

-"But he's so beautiful.. God.." Mark said, day-dreamingly.

-"Aww I think that Halsey is cute but you don't see me driving to L.A. and scissoring with her in some shitty motel room, do you?" She said with a sarcastic tone.

-"Oh fuck you.." Mark grumbled.

Their drinks arrived and they quickly gave their orders before returning to a different subject.

* * *

 Jack couldn't keep his mind off of Mark.

He was laying in bed, looking at all the photos of Matthew and couldn't keep his mind off of him.

All Jack had done was look at Mark and he suddenly snapped. Jack felt a shiver through his spine as he remembered at seeing the once warm, brown eyes looking at him with a stained burning rage. Jack feels like he saw red in his iris, but maybe it could have been his imagination or something. Jack blinked back to the present and hear a door knob rattling. Jack froze as Mark suddenly walked back in and looked at Jack with a sad expression.

-"Hey..." Mark mumbled before turning to close the door behind him. Jack shifted in his bed uncomfortably. When he heard footsteps reaching his bed, he absentmindedly curled in on himself. He didn't dare look up, the same way an ashamed child would to their parents.

-"I-i'm sorry.." Jack whispered.

-"It's not your fault.." Mark said as he lifted jack's chin up slowly. Jack met his eyes, afraid to see the storm within them but only saw the warm comforting sight.

-"I-I shouldn't have looked--"

-"jack.. please don't blame yourself. I have a temper and it just.. brings bad..feelings.." Mark decided to say. Jack nodded his head and dropped it back down to look at his photos. As Mark began shrugging off his jacket and sitting in his desk, Jack perked his head up.

-"I used to be anorexic." the Irishman suddenly said. Mark lifted his head and turned in his chair to look at Jack staring at him.

-"What?" Mark asked, fear on his face.

-"I used to be--"

-"I heard you, I heard you.." Mark said. "But... why?" Mark asked, sadness from his voice.

-"I was.. just.. I don't know. the truth is, it was just s'm phase. I didn' really get over it for a couple years..." Jack replied.

-"You're beautiful, jack. don't change that about you. Don't let anybody tell you different." Mark blurted out.

The Irishman's eyes widened at the comment and he felt himself blush. He was about to reply to it when the waitress from the pizza parlor stormed in.

-"MARK I THINK-- Oh.." She exclaimed before she froze and stood normally, realizing she walked into a moment.

-"..Yes, Cynthia?" Mark asked. She curled her lips into her mouth and flicked her eyes at the wall awkwardly.

-"uhm.. there's a thing to handle the thing with your thing." She said, flicking her eyes to meet the brown-haired man's gaze for a second.

-"What do you mean.." Mark said, standing up and crossing his arms over his chest. The shirt definitely defined Mark's shoulders and biceps, Jack could see hint of veins running along his arms.

-"Um... the whole.. oh my god, don't you dare tell me he doesn't know." She said, placing a hand on her hip and glaring at Mark.

-"Know bout what?" Mark exclaimed, dropping his arms in exasperation.

-"Really? He's your roommate for crying out loud!" She snapped.

-"I'm roight here..." Jack said but to no avail since they ignored him.

-"But he doesn't need to know about.. OHH so that's the thing you meant." Mark replied. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

-"Yes, can we go handle that now?" She asked.

-"You have horrible timing Mark muttered. He turned around and reached for his coat and shrugged it on before they began making their way out.

-"okay..?" jack mumbled to himself as he looked down at his work, confused about what had just happened.

-"Oh, bye babe" Mark said before closing the door.

Then Mark and Jack realized his mistake before Cynthia burst out laughing.

* * *

-"Douche move, if I do say so myself" Felix muttered. Jack/Sam was standing beside him on the roof of the science building and looking over the campus and faraway lights of the town.

-"Well.. it must have been important.." Jack replied, shrugging.

-"it doesn't matter, really. He's just.."

-"Handsome? Charming? Daddy Material?" Felix mocked. Jack flashed his eyes warningly at him which caused the blonder one of the two to throw his arms up in faux surrender.

-"he's strange. Your roommate was talking about how there was some guy named Matt that had a car crash a year or two ago.." Jack said. "Maybe it could be his Matt?"

-"Oh yeah, I've heard him talk about Matt once. They were great friends or something. MatPat's known Mark for a while, actually. I wouldn't be surprised if Matt and MatPat were friends in some sort of way." Felix said, carelessly.

-"Do you think Mark has some dark past?" Jack asked, his cords already vibrating to hide his origin accent.

-"Probably. But don't we all?" Felix taunted with a smirk.

-"Oh screw you.." Jack said, lightly punching him. Felix took a deep breath before he pulled up the hood on his jacket.

-"well, I'm gonna go now. Go and save the world or something.." Felix said as he began making his way to the entrance of the roof. Jack saw the red and blue lights from an airplane flicker high in the sky. As he let himself begin to fly, he looked back to see Felix entering the building as he flew away.

-"yeah.. or something.." Jack mumbled as he let out a joyful yell in the process of making a swan dive to the streets below him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing witty to say. BUT The drama will start building next chapter!
> 
> HIT THAT KUDOS BUTTON IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!


	5. Awkward Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During an awkward morning,
> 
> Jack is a little too flirtatious and Cynthia fears for Mark's mental state,
> 
> Wilford and Sam throw down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a bit of writer's block on this one but I resolved it!
> 
> This chapter gets a little strange but nonetheless adds a lot of plot. SO....
> 
> Enjoy!

Mark was minding his own business, not doing anything entirely important. He was just at his desk, attempting to draw something. Anything, really, that would get his mind off the fact that his roommate was in the shower. He tried to draw to distract himself from thoughts of soap running languidly down his body, the water washing him off, the thought of Jack wanking--

Yeah, he needed to draw real quick. So he didn't realize what he was drawing until he looked down and realized it was basically a really, really bad drawing of a giant fluffy dog. He'd always wanted a dog.

There was a knock on the door, kicking him out of his thoughts, and he stood to open it to be met with an overly enthusiastic, for seven in the morning, person he had to call his friend.

-"GOOOOOOD MORNIN', VIETNAM!" She shouted in a Texan accent. Mark rolled his eyes as she pushed through and he closed the door behind her.

-"It's too early.." He said.

-"Your morning wood says otherwise, Fischbach." She said, pointing to his pajama pants where they were slowly being tented. And on unlucky coincidence, Jack opened the bathroom door. Mark turned around and quickly readjusted in total embarrassment, feeling his face heat up. He turned to see Cynthia stifling a giggle and Jack obliviously searching for clothes.

-"Mark have ye seen my-- oh. Hello there." Jack said, startled by the presence of a striking red-head standing in their room.

-"Are you Jack?" She asked, smirking at Mark. He narrowed his eyes.

-"Uhm... yes, aren't ye the gurl from tha pizza parlor?" Jack asked. She nodded her head with a soft smile.

-"Yeah, I am!" She replied.

-"Yeah.. ye really got my friend Felix all flustered." He replied.

-"no way!" She said with an exaggerated giggle, laying a hand on his shoulder and leaning in as she laughed. Mark felt something bubble in his stomach, and it was not hunger.

-"Yeah. Would ye like me to.. introduce you two?" He asked with a smile. She giggled again and let her hand slide off his shoulder, letting her fingers slide onto his chest for a second before retracting her hand.

-"Oh no no, I'm fine. Thank you though." She said with a bright smile. Jack chuckled.

-"So what are you doing here, Cyn?" Mark asked, keeping his sharpness out of his tone.

-"Oh I just came to see the roommate you mentioned. He's quite the European indeed." She said, winking at Jack.

Mark didn't know what game she was playing but he didn't like it.

-"Oh.. y-ye talk about me?" Jack asked Mark. Cynthia looked at him, her hair softly swaying behind her doing so.

-"Oh of course he does! He's such a big teddy bear. I just love him so much!" She said, walking over and pinching his cheek. Mark narrowed his eyes before returning them to the normal size when they looked back at Jack, who was still shirtless and holding a towel loosely around his hips.

-"Oh.. you two know each other?" Jack asked.

-"Pfft, well yeah! We're engaged!" She said with a joyful voice.

-"Wait we're what now?" Mark asked, looking at her in confusion.

-"I'm just kidding. No, we've been good friends. You see, he screwed my brother Damian in Junior year and I screwed his other friend Natasha. She was a total whore after that." Cynthia said with her sweet voice. Mark mentally face palmed.

-"Oh... yer gay?" Jack asked Mark, again. Mark's eyes widened.

-"Is there a problem with it?" Mark asked, puffing his chest. He was instinctively defensive over his sexuality.

-"N-no! It's just uh--"

-"Wait, aren't you gay?" Cynthia asked a little too enthusiastically. Jack nodded his head and slowly blushed. "Wow! What a _friendly coincidence_ " Cynthia said, turning her head slightly to look at Mark with her peripheral vision.

-"yeah, I-I guess so.." The Irishman said, shyly. Cynthia giggled.

-"Okay, Mark I'll just see you at lunch. Buh-bye now!" She said before leaving the room. The two men remaining looked at their feet shyly before Mark spoke up.

-"I'm sorry... she's really--"

-"no no, it's fine. I just didn't know ye had any other friends." jack replied.

-"What, you think I'm an introvert?" Mark asked, smirking at Jack.

-"Well I know for a fact you always get the prettiest friends." Jack replied.

-"well I have you so, y'know." Mark said, the words slipping out of his mouth before realizing what he said. "I-I mean. uhh-"

-"I'm flattered." jack said, blushing as red as Mark. He grabbed a shirt from his bed and went back into the bathroom. The darker haired boy legitimately facepalmed when the door closed. 

Mark was starting to dwell on other memories that involved complete embarrassing regret when he snapped his focus onto doing his bed. He laid the soft, lavender colored bedsheet onto his bed and tucked it back in to make a satisfying flattening to the previously crumbled mess. He continued to do the same with his duvet before he heard the bathroom door open, revealing a clothed Irishman with a tuft of brown hair strewn about. Mark looked at him and felt his heart skip a beat at the sight. His eyes instinctively flashing.

-"So, I was thinking that maybe before our class ye'd like tah have s' breakfast?" Jack asked him as, he too, did his tangled mess of a bed.

-"Yeah. I don't see why not.." Mark said as he reached for his phone atop his desk, checking to see any messages.

**_Cynthia [4]_ **

**_Did yall baaanngggg?????_ **

**_Hoeeeeee answeerrrr thoooo_ **

**_MAAARRRRKKKKK *crying emoji*_ **

**_K then, Ima get myself some breakfast. Don't forget 2 use a Condom *winking emoji* *eggplant emoji*_ **

Mark rolled his eyes and typed out a quick reply before leaving his phone to charge and glance over to see Jack shoving materials into a small satchel.

-"Ye ready?" jack asked over his shoulder.

-"Yup." Mark replied as he grabbed  a larger satchel swinging off of his desk chair. Grabbing it, taking his phone and shrugging on a jacket, he made his way to follow Jack out the dorm.

Locking it behind them, they made their way down the two flights of stairs before they continued their way across campus to the cafeteria. They felt the small breeze of fall pour into the atmosphere within the university. Some people lay against small or large trees, others hurriedly scampering along to take photos and search through their collections of filters for the photo backdrops. Some played instruments in the grass, others drew in collective partiers surrounding a canvas with an array of colors depicting the scenery beside them, and the other students around in the early morning were making their way to a class or to eat. Jack took a deep breath, letting the smell of the campus he longed missed since before the summer came. He smiled.

Jack took noticed of the slightly taller boy beside him, looking at the trees that were cascading their different colors. Green to yellow, yellow to orange, green to red and even green to gray. The colors were a beauty in the trees but with such lively colors splayed around the large trunks of oak and young spruce up above it's figure. The gentle breeze blowing in brought them to a small gentle sprinkle in their branches, giving a small little clatter of leaves smacking against each other.

As they made their way further across the campus, they took in sight all the buildings and departments. The department of agriculture was beside them as they walked forward, the department of biology onto their left. The main photography building was being passed soon on, surrounding them as both sections were connected by a small bridge that conjoined the two above them. Then the Minor Photography buildings trickled along beside it, with the Musical/Theatre Art building coming into view.

-"Such a beautiful day outside, y'know?" Mark asked, breaking the silence. The Irishman nodded.

-"I luv the sense of peace.." he replied.

Continuing their walk, they were soon coming upon their destination, in which they entered a cool but warm, small building.

-"Jack!" Felix exclaimed with a smile.

-"Fe!" Jack replied. Mark stood there awkwardly as they both welcomed each other with a fist bump. "oh! This is Mark." Jack said, giving Mark a light nudge.

-"The honor is mine, your highness." Felix said with a mock-bow. Mark chuckled.

-"At bay, soldier." Mark replied with a smile.

-"Table for two?" Felix asked with a smirk. Jack widened his eyes and blushed.

-"Shut up, ye maggot." Jack mumbled. Felix grabbed two menus and led them outside into the cool air where a small patio with tables and chairs, mostly empty rather than inside, were waiting.

-"I'll have somebody come in to get you ladies some drinks." Felix said with a wink and nod. Then he departed. Jack sat there, looking at the menu and occasionally flicking the corner with his nail as he concentrated.

-"What's good?" Mark asked, assuming he must know the food by know.

-"Wait... ye mean ye've never eaten here before?" Jack asked. Mark shook his head with an expression of dismay.

-"Unfortunately, no. I've never eaten here before." Mark said, his last words sliding into a laugh at the brown haired student's shocked expression.

-"Ye have never lived. Fokin' Christ." Jack said with a shake of his head, grinning. Mark chuckled.

-"Oh yeah, how would you know about living?" Mark said, leaning against the table with his elbows.

-"I'd show you but we're in a public place." Jack said without thinking. Mark's eyes widened and he chuckled, startled by the reply. 'shite. I'm sorry.." Jack mumbled.

-"Hello, my name is Joey and I will be your server, what would you like to drink?" [Graceffa, bitches] a blue haired man said as he suddenly appeared at the table, breaking the sudden awkward silence.

-"uh.. I'll have a coffee." Jack said, avoiding Mark's blushing gaze.

-"Would you like cream and sugar or should I just bring it on the side?"

-"on the side." Jack said.

-"Mhmm, okay and what would you like?" He asked, turning his attention to Mark.

-"I'll have a water, thanks." He said.

-"Wow. I don't know how someone like you makes it in the morning without coffee." Joey said with a thin line on his mouth and walking away.

-"Was that a compliment?" mark asked Jack who was staring at his hands.

-"Probably." Jack mumbled. Mark looked down at his menu in awkwardness.

* * *

-"So how much do you want to bet?" Cynthia asked. Felix scoffed and looked away.

-"Hmm how about twenty bucks?" He said with a smirk.

-"Oh god no! I'm broke as a damn joke, are you kidding?" She said with a laugh. Felix laughed along with her, glancing out the window to see the two men looking at their menus.

-"Jesus Christ..... we're gonna have to intervene aren't we." Felix said with a sigh.

-"I freaking hope not." She said, rolling her eyes.

-"Hey, so there's this karaoke party thing going on at Jenny's Diner tomorrow night, you wanna come?" she asked. Felix chuckled.

-"u-uh.. like a date?" He asked, sounding a little too hopeful. She was taken aback.

-"Like a date? Oh god no. I'm not your type." She said with a laugh. Felix's smile dropped.

-"Well.. what does that mean?" he asked.

-"I like woman." She said, laying her hand softly onto his before laughing.

-"wait.. really.." Felix said, mouth dropping.

-"Yeah.." She said, with a raised eyebrow. "you don't believe me?"

-"Are you like.. bisexual or something?" he asked, his voice drawing out too much disappointment.

-"No, I will not have a threesome with you." She said, rolling her eyes.

-"never know until you've triieed.." Felix said with a smirk. They looked over to see Jack the only one left at the table, scrolling through his phone. "woah where did he go?"

-"Where di who go--" The strawberry-blonde haired girl asked before a large wave of fire poured right outside the patio. Everyone gasped and shouted, Cynthia immediately bolting from her seat to run up to the glass windows and door to push through. She felt the wave of heat as she walked out, a large black ash trailing behind Wilford's fire. her eyes widened as she saw him forming the words:

_**This Is MY Town, Now.** _

-"Holy shit!"

-"It's that guy again!"

-"What the hell!?"

-"Where's Sam?"

Were frequent questions heard amongst the crowd. The figure suddenly loomed over everybody and levitated down to be nearly five feet off the ground and a good amount between the patio.

-"Tell your little 'Sam SepticeEye' that he better get his shit together before he goes up in _flames_ " Mark said with his overly deep and near mechanic voice, lighting his hands emphasizing the last word. Cynthia stared at him bewildered. "And if he wants to save this simple girl, he'll have to find the breadcrumbs."

In all of a sudden, He snapped forward and flew right onto the patio, Jack falling out of his chair in fear. He grabbed Cynthia by her coat and they flung into the sky in one swift movement. Everyone gasped and shouted after them. As Cynthia screamed in fear and shock, they suddenly landed softly in a small part of the woods running along the university. When he let go, she turned around and smacked him as hard as she could.

-"Motherfucker!" She shouted as she pushed her hair backwards and shook the anxiety off her limbs.

-"haha! wasn't that great!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands outward in dominating fun. She glared at him.

-"Nice going, Sherlock. You forgot your date at the fucking restaurant." She snapped.

-"Oh shit.." Mark said, eyes widening. "i'll be right back--" Mark began to claim before a sudden rush of green and yellow surged between them and smacked into Mark at full force. The, now red-haired, man toppled backwards and slammed into a tree trunk. And a very pissed off superhero with green hair stared down at him.

* * *

 

-"FUCK, HE TOOK CYNTHIA!" Felix shouted as he picked up jack.

-"b-but Mark--"

-"I'll get your silly little boyfriend later, GO!" Felix exclaimed as he shoved Jack out the restaurant. Jack nodded his head once before turning his attention to the space around him, freezing time as best as he could before flying off and bursting into his dorm. His little mental timer going on, he quickly changed into his suit as fast as he could before he flew back out, closing the door behind him. Time returned to it's original pace as he saw a small, but visible streak of red flash toward the outskirts of the university and into the forest, Jack flew out and into it, seeing a small trail of burnt leaves in the wake.

Angered, Sam flew through and saw him standing away from Cynthia, in which he flew straight into his chest, knocking him backward with surprising strength.

-"Ahh fuck.." He grumbled. He looked up with red, flashing eyes and shook his head with a deep chuckle.

-"It took you long enough he said.."

-"Ma-- Wilford stop..." Cynthia said, catching herself not to give away his real name, even if she was probably going to be in a crossfire.

-"What, you know him?" Jack/Sam asked, turning to see her. Big mistake since Mark took that opportunity to fly a fireball at him, throwing him slightly off balance, but keeping his feet steady.

-"Oh yeah, she's an acquaintance of mine." Mark/Wilford said as he eyed her. She shook her head at him gravely and he smirked. "You, however, are a problem."

-"For someone so strong, ye sure are flaming" Jack said. Mark was slightly thrown off by the sudden accent but was thrown backward by a sharp sting on his shoulder. He looked down to see he had a large cut.

He looked at Sam with a strange expression, wondering when sharp objects came into play, only to be met by an equally shocked expression. Jack looked down at his hand and saw a small sharp emerald suddenly form in his hand then break into small dust.

-"The fuck.." he gasped before he felt a fireball knocked his leg and he fell to the ground.

-"Oh so you want to play dirt huh?!" mark exclaimed.

-"GODDAMIT WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS!!" Cynthia shouted. Jack tried standing up but was thrown backwards by another fireball.

-"let's play dirty.." He said with a low rumble, his eyes flashing a dangerous red and his fists starting to glow nearly white.

-"WILFORD, STOP IT. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!!" She exclaimed as she began walking forward.

Jack felt his heart quickening and his breath catching in his throat quite literally. He was having an anxiety attack.

-"WILFORD!" Cynthia shouted again as she quickened her pace towards them as Mark grabbed Sam by the suit and pinned him against the tree with surprising strength he forgot he had when he was like this.

-"Aww, cat got your tongue?" He hissed with venom. Jack's face was beat red, his windpipe already not being able to take oxygen. Cynthia grabbed Mark's hair and pulled him backward, trying to stop him.

Only to be met with a literal fist of pure fire slamming her backwards and hearing a loud crack from her body as she slammed into a tree and fell to the ground limply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drops mic*


	6. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bits and pieces of Mark's past come into light,
> 
> Felix is relentless on Jack to hunt down Wilford.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update:  
> I lost my page a billion times and I've had to retype this chapter so many times because my laptop won't cooperate in loading the page after hitting Save Without Posting so that's one reason it took so long.  
> Second off, I was at a camp and I didn't bring my laptop.
> 
> Other than that, Enjoy this chapter!
> 
> IMPORTANT!!!  
> [A/N: The story switches between Cynthia's POV on her Birthday to Jack's POV in the present day.]

_-"Sir please step back"_

-"SIR! WE NEED YOU TO PLEASE STEP BACK!" a nurse shouted.

 

_-"He's in critical condition.."_

-"SHE'S IN CRITICAL CONDITION!" another nurse shouted.

 

_-"Are you Mark Fischbach?"_

-"Are you Mark Fischbach?" a doctor asked, his gown wet and slightly bloody.

 

_-"Y-yes.." the boy said nervously, looking up in tears._

-"Yes." the dark haired college student said, fear laced in his voice.

 

_-"We want you to know that we did everything we can.."_

-"I need you to know we did everything we can." the doctor said as he placed his arms behind him in an orderly fashion.

 

_-"...but your boyfriend's unfortunate condition.."_

-"..but with your friend's unfortunate condition..."

 

_-"Mr. Watson died earlier this evening..."_

-" Ms. Rose has--"

* * *

 

Jack sat there, tapping his foot against the tiles that ran along the entire hospital for a long time. He was looking down at his feet and cursing himself with anything possible. He blamed himself. And Wilford.

-"J-jack?" a broken voice called out. Jack rose his head to see Mark standing there, his jacket in his hand and tears marking along his face and under his glasses. His face surprised but broken.

-"I got yer voicemail.." Jack said as he walked over slowly.

-"I-i'm sorry about.. this morning. I just needed some air and then.. and then the whole spectacle a-and..." Mark said, voice shattered. But what was his excuse?

_I was fighting off the superhero of the town and lost myself in a sudden rage and had to fly her to the hospital with him since she had no pulse and was lying in my arms motionless after I literally sent her flying into a tree._

-"Mark.. it's alright.." Jack said.

-"No.. I saw she was taken and I ran off into the woods like an idiot.. I couldn't find her so I turned back and then I got the call as I walked back to the restaurant.." Mark replied.

-"Mark... h-how is she?" Jack asked. Mark looked at him with his puffy eyes.

-"Jack... Cynthia's--"

* * *

 

-"--finally eighteen! LIKE, O-M-G!!" their friend exclaimed as the mentioned girl hopped into their car.

-"Shut up!" Cynthia exclaimed as she weakly tried smacking her best friend from behind the seat. Mark chuckled at their antics.

-"Someone's looking quite grumpy." another boy said, getting into the Jeep as well. Mark smiled.

-"Hey.." Mark said.

-"Good mornin', good lookin'" he said as he kissed Mark's cheek from the back.

-"gag. PDA much?" Cameron [OC] said with a mock-puke reaction.

-"very much so, yes." Mark said with a wink.

-"Okay, whores, we're going." She said as he put his car out of parking and began driving them from the Wattson residence and to school.

The car rid was as normal as it usually was.

They argued, laughed, talked, complained and sang. They usually began arguing or discussing pointless topics that ranged from any sort from make-up to classmates to video games and/or films. They continued onto talking about their lives or school in general before they sat in silence or sang along with whatever was playing on the radio station. The group of friends had a system for handling the radio, that day it was Cameron's turn. She chose a Pop station that left less comments about it than normally.

Arriving into their school parking lot, they were hitting the last note to some song hey didn't bother memorizing the lyrics to before getting out in a fit of laughter. They handled their belongings and exited the car, following into the exit they usually took to access their classes easier.

-"So... there's a party tonight and _everybody's_ going." Cameron said as she leaned into Mark purposely. He shrugged his backpack back onto his shoulder and chuckled.

-"That _I_ will not be attending" He replied.

-"Sure we are." Matt said as he wrapped his arm around Mark's waist. The black-haired boy leaned into his large form and rolled his eyes.

-"Are we, now?" Mark asked.

-"Yes. You need to go and get out there more often.." Cynthia said as she bit into a pear that somehow fit into her bag.

-"Lies. I am perfectly fine as the introvert I was born to be." Mark declared.

-"You are _so_ not an introvert." The brunette girl replied with a shake from her head.

-"True. I read that extroverts like to moan when they're--"

-"--going to class!" Mark said, cutting off the red-head and speeding away from the three.

-"Oh c'mon, Mark! I was kidding!" She exclaimed, giggling and following him down the hall.

As the other two were left behind, walking at a normal pace, she looked over at the brunette man and let out a small huff.

-"You really like him, huh?" She asked.

He nodded his head with a smirk.

-"I'd die for him.." was all he said.

* * *

Cynthia bounced her hair up with her hand as she looked at herself in the mirror. She puckered her lips to look for any strains or cracks within the soft, lavender lipstick that colored her lips. Once pleased with the image she received, she flicked off the bathroom light and strolled back into her room.

The walls were decorated with photos of she and her family, friends and animals. Each with different filters. She was well-known among her group of friends and classmates for having a wonderful eye in photography, but she was sticking to mixing music.

As far as her friends, she knew Mark was completely giving his heart and soul into photography. Which type? She didn't seem to know, but she did at least give him applause for his set decision. Cameron was going to try out for the navy as a medical officer, which slightly disappointed the red-haired girl. But she was happy for her nonetheless. Matt was probably wanting to become a teacher or college professor, whichever he picked. But all of them were happy enough to finally have a decision.

Growing up with Matt was... a struggle. Mostly since they had some weird defect at birth that gave Cynthia red hair and he brown hair. He was always the star-athlete, and honor roll student, the better child and best exemplar for the family. Meanwhile, she went through all the crazy teenage phases, was a 105% Bisexual, not a Straight A student, ran Track and brought waves of embarrassment to the family every so often.

Matt was probably the only one in their family that truly cared about her. One time, she went on a hunger strike to prove that vegetarians are doing their body no good and Matt joined her temporarily to help prove he was with her. It was a sweet.

Cynthia took pride in her photos very often, though. Her ability to the photos from any angle and with spectacular filters to fit the photo spectacularly. They flooded her walls, along with some posters, Post-It notes and reminders.

The soft yellow and lime-green walls added to the colors surrounding her room. She stood in front of her full-body mirror, which was also decorated profusely with polaroid pictures, which sat in the corner of her bedroom next to her boxes of make-up and useless purses she rarely used.

Inspecting her choice of clothing; which consisted of a deep velvety blue skirt that reached just above her knees, a soft, navy blue shirt with the Tumblr name plastered on it, covered with a stylish and plain jean jacket completed her blue self. Her fluorescent strawberry-blonde hair flowed in front of her shoulders and languidly against her neck, the shade of purple for lipstick complimenting her face well along with her lost use of foundation and mascara.

Normally, she didn't care about style, but she wanted to impress her good friend (and hopeless crush): Cameron.

Shockingly, she fell in love with the fellow brunette at the beginning of Sophomore year and she was utterly screwed. Always gossiping about her to Mark or Matt.

Hopelessly, she was in love.

-"hey, you ready?" Her brother asked as he knocked on her door lightly before it slowly opened. 

She turned around and looked at him desperately before he raised an eyebrow. She sighed and led her hand down her body to represent her outfit.

-"Oh. Yeah, you look fine. You two can scissor away into the night by the time you're in the car." Matt said, winking and walking away.

-"You stupid piece of ass." She grumbled.

-"Mark would agree!" He shouted from his bedroom down the hallway in their upstairs territory. She scoffed and turned around to grab her purse and wallet, flicking off the light behind her.

-"Speaking of, let's go pick up your knight in glistening glasses." She said as she began walking down the stairs.

-"Couldn't agree more." He said with a smirk as he followed her down, putting on a jacket in the process.

* * *

-"ARE YOU _FUCKING KIDDING ME?!_ " Felix shouted as he kicked Mark's chair down.

-"Dude, calm down.." Jack said, worried of his sudden change of emotions.

-" ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING _ME_ TO CALM DOWN?!" the Swedish man shouted.

-"Yes, yer overreacting about the situa--"

-"Jack?" Mark asked as he entered their dorm to see Jack looking defensive against a fuming Felix.

-"OH. WHAT THE HELL DO  _YOU_ WANT." He shouted. Mark flinched at the loud tone.

-"N-nevermind. I'll come back l-later.." He whispered as he closed the door and left. Jack snapped his attention to Felix.

-"Dude, really?" Jack asked, feeling anger bubbling in him as well.

-"OH FOR FUCKS SAKE. I SCARED OFF YOUR LITTLE BOY CRUSH, GET OVER YOURSELF--" Felix shouted before he was suddenly frozen and glowing green. Jack's eye was fully green now and was staring angrily at Felix who was frozen in an angry position.

-" _You_ get over yerself.." Jack mumbled as he flicked his eye back and turned around, grabbing a jacket and leaving the dorm. Unfreezing Felix as he left.

He took a deep breath before walking away and ruffling his hair in anxiety. As he walked past the room, Matthew opened it and froze in his steps at seeing Jack pass by.

-"Oh, hey!" He exclaimed as he closed the door behind him and chased after the brown-haired man.

-"Oh. hi.." Jack grumbled in a tone too fierce.

-"Woah, what went up your ass?" He asked with a chuckle.

-"My friend was kidnapped by that red guy.." Jack replied.

-"Oh! Oh wow. How is she? Is she alright?" Matthew asked with concern. Jack froze and felt tears prick his eyes again. He turned around to look at him and saw the taller man's expression suddenly turn into one of shock as he saw the tears.

* * *

 

-"WOOOO!!" the group of underage teenagers shouted as they took another drink from their red Solo cups.

The party itself was as American as it could get. But she never expected her friends to convince everyone to yell surprise when they showed up and have bought her a cake last minute to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. It was fairly sweet.

Until they decided to bring out more alcohol than necessary.

-"You having fun?" Her brother shouted over the music. She giggled and nodded her head. He smiled at her before taking another drink. He looked above a couple of heads to see some guy laughing with Mark and placing his hand onto Mark's bicep to keep from falling over from laughing.

-"Jealous?" She asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at her brother. Currently almost squeezing the contents out of his cup, he looked at her and shrugged as he took a swig.

-"I can't tell if he's flirting or not.." He said as he eyed the pair on the other side of the kitchen, the space between them filled with drunk and hungry students.

-"Mark would never do that to you--" Cynthia began to say before she glanced and felt her eyes widen as she saw the guy lean in and kiss Mark's cheek. Matt let out a huff and left his cup on the counter before he shook back his shoulders and began advancing through the crowd.

-"No no no, Matt. Please don't." She warned as she chased after him.

-"hey!" The tall, brunette exclaimed as he was reaching them. Mark had already shook off the drunk teenager and was scolding him about having a boyfriend when he turned to see Matt, a very angry Matt.

-"No no, it's not what you think--!" Mark began to say before his boyfriend punched the other teen square in the jaw.

-"Hey an! Calm down!" He exclaimed as he recovered and swung his fist to knock into Matt's chest weakly.

-"No. You are _not_ fighting on my birthday." She said as she pulled him back from swinging again.

-"Babe! I didn't do it. He kissed _me_ " Mark pleaded, his hand on the taller man's chest.

-"Are you okay? Did he touch you?" He asked, inspecting Mark a little closer.

-"I'm fine. I swear.." He said as he led him away from the kitchen. Cynthia looked at them walk away, her eyebrows pinched in concern.

The loud music blaring through the house and the speakers banging the bass through the floor and into her shoes. The amount of people around made her feel almost claustrophobic before she felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Cameron beaming at her.

-"happy Birthday!" She exclaimed as she handed her a box with wrapping paper. She giggled and took it, she ripped it open right there and gasped at seeing a small polaroid camera.

-"Oh my god! It's amazing!" She said with a smile. Cameron laughed and hugged her.

-"hey... do you want to maybe.. get some fresh air?" she asked as she took hold of the red-haired girl's wrist. Cynthia blushed and nodded her head, the slightly dimmed lights hiding the sudden change of tint on her face.

As they walked around the crowds of people, they ended up on a backyard deck that was surprisingly empty but also dark. She looked at the brunette who smiled and stood against a railing.

-"So what's up?" She asked.

-"I was wondering... if.. you had a crush on me?" Cameron asked as she looked at her. Cynthia was taken aback by the question.

-"U-um... why?" she asked. Cameron giggled before leaning closer to her.

-"I don't know.. I'm just.. wondering.." She said as he played with the ends of the other girl's jean jacket.

-"C-Cameron... I've.." She said before letting out a breath. "I've had a crush on you since Sophomore year.." She said rapidly. Cameron looked at her before bursting into laughter.

And so did four other people that submerged from the shadows from shrubs outside.

-"O M G! Are you serious?" She asked with another laugh. The other people around them began laughing as well.

-"W-what?" She asked, feeling her heart break and her dignity to shatter.

-"Wow. I knew it! You owe me Twenty bucks." A guy said with a tape-recorder to Cameron. She laughed and shook her head.

-"yeah yeah, I get it." She said as she began laughing even harder. Cynthia backed away from them frightened.

-"W-what the hell, Cam!" She shouted.

-"Calm down! I-it was just a joke." She said, laughing and stuttering between her words. Cynthia shook her head and threw open the door that led outside, tears springing in her eyes.

-"Cyn!" She shouted behind her as she made her way through the crowds of people.

-"hey, happy birthday!" some random person said as she shoved past them.

Making her way through the darkened and colorfully light living room with music everywhere, she finally found her brother and Mark sitting on the stairs of the random house and he stood in front of them.

-"Oh hey-- Oh god, are you okay?" Mark asked as he stood up looking at her worriedly.

-"I-i'm going to take your jeep. I-is that okay?" She asked as she shook with a sudden sob.

-"Cynthia. What happened? Who did this?" her brother asked with sudden defense.

-"I-it doesn't fucking matter. I just want to leave. I'll see you at home." She said as Mark handed her the keys.

-"Okay, drive safe. There's gonna be some rain tonight." Mark said as she began nodding her head and turning around to leave.

Finding the front door was easier said than done and she quickly burst out of the heating house and into the cold, fresh air. As Mark predicted, she felt a small drizzle of rain and saw some people making their way into the house. She marched down the path to the door and unlocked the gate before making her way toward Mark's car.

-"Cynthia!" Cameron shouted as she made her way toward the gate and unlocked it to follow.

-"No! Leave me the fuck alone." She snapped as she unlocked the car.

-"Cyn! Please, wait. It was just a stupid joke-"

-"Are my _f_ _eelings_ some kind of _joke to you?!_ " The red-head snapped as she turned around to face her.

She didn't really get a good look at her, but did notice now that she was wearing a bright green skirt with a grey T-shirt that read 'Talk Nerdy To Me'. She actually looked nice with her hair loose and her bright red lipstick.

-"No! I never said that--"

-"Are you fucking sure about that? Are you?" She said with a venom in her tone.

-"Cynthia! It was supposed to be a joke I would say to remind you of your birthday!" She defended. The mentioned girl scoffed and flung her arms weakly from her sides.

-"I sure as hell will remember my eighteenth birthday now. Fuck you." Cynthia replied as she flipped her off and made her way around the car and into the drivers seat. Slamming the door she began pulling out of the parallel parked car when she heard the side door being banged on. She turned to see Cameron pointing at the window in which she rolled down.

-"Cynthia.. I'm really sorry. I can delete the recording.." She said with sadness in her eyes.

Cynthia almost wanted to forgive her.

Almost.

-"Fine. While you're deleting that, why don't you delete me from your life while you're at it. God knows I'll delete you, bitch." The heartbroken girl said before pulling away and leaving the brunette in the street with a sad expression left. The rain began increasing slightly as she drove to Mark's house where she'd spend the night, knowing damn well her brother was too.

When she got to his home, she saw that Mark's parents weren't there which meant they had gone on vacation already and would be back for graduation day in two weeks.

She threw open the door after unlocking it with the key they hid inside the pot plant beside it and slid against the door. Thunder clapped and lighting flashed through the glass on the door as she sat there, crying silently as the dark house lay still. Then she got up, made her way up the stairs and went into the guest room where she didn't bother closing the door and laid on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest and discarding the jacket at the entrance.

Then she heard a doorbell twenty minutes later.

* * *

-"What do you mean?" A voice asked.

-"I mean that you cannot see her. Only family can visit her."

-"I'm the closest to family she's got since her parent's will fly in any day now. Let me in." the voice demanded.

There was a sigh before a door was opened and she heard quickening footsteps.

-"Cynthia? Cyn? Are you okay? Oh god... please wake up..." A familiar voice said.

As she cracked her eyes open, she noticed the small nose first.

_Matt?_

Then she noticed the warm, hazel eyes.

_Mark?_

Then the brightly colored hair.

_Jack?_

Then her eyes fully focused to see a girl with bright purple hair staring at her.

-"Cameron." She croaked out. She smiled as looked at her with tears in her eyes.

-"oh god, Cyn. Are you okay?" She asked.

_I almost forgave her that night._

-"Get the fuck out of my room." She said as her eyebrows furrowed together in sudden anger.

_Almost._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall thought I was gonna f*ck with her.  
> Yall thought.


	7. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark has another flashback which raises questions among Jack,
> 
> Cynthia confronts an old friend that she still holds a grudge against.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALMOST THERE TO KNOWING ABOUT THE NIGHT OF THE CRASH!  
> BE PATIENT!!!
> 
> Enjoy this chapter tho
> 
> And thank you so so so so much for 200+ Kudos!!! Omg I'm really glad all of you like this story! Or at least tolerate it! 
> 
> I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record in the comments or just utterly confusing but I'm truly grateful!

_'MATT THE BRAKES!!!' MATT--"_

_The sounds of shattering glass filled his ears along with the sounds of metal hitting metal._

_rain smacking into the asphalt on the street._

_and the sound of a loud ringing filling his ears._

_He opened his eyes wearily to see a small puddle of blood and a car upside down._

_His car._

_The car that suddenly burst into--_

* * *

 

-"MARK!" Jack shouted as he brought down his fist onto his chest. He opened his eyes. Scared for life.

He saw a green Irishman looking at him scared and straddling his legs awkwardly.

-"MATT NO!" Mark shouted as he bolted upright and launched Jack away with his super strength accidentally, smacking Jack painfully against the door that was far from his bed. Jack slammed into it and crumpled.

-"Ow..." Jack mumbled as he slowly stood up to see Mark curled in a ball.

-"I'm sorry. oh god. I am so sorry." He whispered as he felt himself break again.

-"Mark.. it's okay... calm down.." Jack said, rubbing the back of his head softly.

-"No.. It isn't. I'm so sorry.." He said as he felt more tears spring in his eyes. Jack stood up, back suddenly aching as he stood up and crossed the room to try and uncurl a very strong (and crying) Mark.

-"Mark.. we're fine... it's fine." Jack said as he carefully patted his back. As much as Jack was honest, it did raise questions however.

-"Mark. What brakes were ye talking about?" jack dared to ask. Mark raised his head slightly at that.

-"I mentioned the brakes?" Mark said, holding in the tears at the sudden realization.

-"Yeah. Were ye talking about?" Jack asked. Mark looked at him nervously before he sat up in his bed.

-"Nothing. Just a nightmare. It's just a dream.." mark said, repeating the words he told his roommate from last year.

-"It didn't seem like one. Mark.. who's Matt? What's with the brakes--"

-"Just leave me alone.." mark mumbled as he pushed Jack away, suddenly feeling annoyed. He gathered a few things and slammed the bathroom door. Jack looked t the door where Mark just was and he huffed through his nose.

-"Whatever. He'll tell me eventually. he has to.." jack mumbled as he decided to do their beds.

-"Whatever. He'll just stop asking. he has to..." Mark mumbled as he undressed in the bathroom and stepping into the shower. He turned the knob so that ice cold water could hit him. He let out a sigh as he felt the water run down his spine.

Meanwhile, Jack was finishing doing their beds and heard Mark's phone ding. He knew it was wrong to be nosy, especially with his already pissed off roommate, but he couldn't help but wonder.

-"Fok it."  Jack said as he grabbed Mark's phone.

**Message From CynaBun *sassy emoji***

_Help. Cameron. Here. Hospital. NOW_

Jack's eyebrows knit together. He assumed 'CynaBun' was Cynthia, but who was Cameron? Could it be a relative they hated? A person they hated? An ex of Cynthia's? ...An ex of _Mark's?_

Jack decided not to reply or peer anymore into it and set the phone back on his desk. Jack laid on his own bed and placed the headphones comfily on his ears and blasted the music.

A few minutes later, Mark emerged from the bathroom and was fully dressed for the day, his black hair sticking up in any and evert direction. Jack glanced at him checking his phone in which his eyes widened and he balled his fists after the phone clattered onto the desk. Jack, confusedly, took off his headphones and watched Mark grit his teeth.

-"uh.. Mark?" Jack called out.

-"What do you _want, McLoughlin_ " Mark growled. Jack's eyes widened slightly. The noise emitting from the words reminded him warily of Wilford.

-"Never mind.." Jack mumbled.

-"No. _Say it._ before you bother me for the rest of the week about it and you just won't _SHUT UP. WHY CAN'T YOU JUST MIND YOUR GODDAM BUSINESS YOU FUCKING LOUD MOUTH?!_ " Mark shouted as he turned and balled Jack's shirt in his fist and stared at him with venomous eyes.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, afraid to meet his stare. Jack scrunched his face backward when Mark let go, Jack suddenly crawled backward quickly, much to his back's dismay, and sat in the very corner of his bed. He pulled his knees up to his chest and physically shook in fear. Mark was still on the edge of his bed and staring him down.

-"g-go away.." Jack whispered, frightened. "C-Cynthia needs you.."

Then he realized that mistake when Mark balled his fists again.

-"You went through _MY PHONE?!_ "

-"I only saw the message on your lock screen--!"

-"SAVE IT. Nosy motherfucker.." Mark grumbled as he turned on his heel and grabbed a pair of shoes, his phone and a wallet before slamming the door to the dorm behind him. Jack shook in fear at the sudden slam. He uncurled when the coast was clear and he stared at his bed with relief and worry.

 _What in the hell happened that made him have nightmares... and have him burst out in anger afterwards?_ The Irishman thought to himself. He looked at his roommate's bed, in which he never thanked him for doing, with fear and wonder.

-"It's time I find out." Jack said aloud as he got up from his bed, and with no regrets, began digging through Mark's things.

* * *

 

-"I drove all the way from Colorado to see you!" She pleaded.

-"Does it look like I-- *ungh* care?" Cynthia snapped as she sat up in her bed painfully. Her back hurt like hell and whatever was around her neck was starting to annoy her. Speaking of annoying...

-"Cynthia... is this about what happened on your Eighteenth birthday--"

-"Of course this is about my birthday, dumbass!" she snapped. "I'm always going to be angry at you for embarrassing me in front of our classmates and making a fool out of me during the talent sho--"

-"I didn't know they were going to show the video! Jesus!" The standing girl exclaimed.

-"Yeah, just like I didn't know the record breaking storm was going to crash through our fucking town and kill my--"

-"don't you dare pin that on me." Cameron said, looking at her coldly. "I had nothing to do with what happened to them."

-"Sure you did, sweetie. If you hadn't pulled your stupid prank, I wouldn't have left early and you wouldn't have woken up drunk off your ass the next morning." Cynthia snapped. "Because you would have driven back with us and we all could've gone later back to my house and hang out but YOU were behind that fucking prank!"

-"I'm sorry! It was just a prank! That's all it was. That's all I wanted it to be!" Cameron pleaded.

-"And all I want is for you to leave.." Cynthia said, looking at her with a firm expression. Cameron looked at her sadly before scoffing.

-"You guys can't be mad at me forever.." She said, crossing her arms over her chest as she shook her head at her old friend.

-"Watch us be." Mark said at the doorway, fists clenched as he stared at her.

The short, purple haired girl turned to face the bulky mixed-race man. He was staring at her with a warning look and she shook her head at him.

-"I'm not to blame for what happened that night." Cameron said.

-"But you are to blame what happened to me." Cynthia said with a hateful smirk. Cameron glanced at her before turning back to see Mark eyeing her threateningly.

-"I'm sorr--"

-"Just get out of her damn room. We didn't ask you to come." Mark snarled. She was taken aback and her sadness was replaced with seriousness.

-"Are you kidding me? I had to leave school and come here to see if my best friend was okay and I get here to be met with--"

-"Met with the fact that I'm perfectly fine." Cynthia said, cutting off the other girl in the room. She changed her glare, once again, to Cynthia. One of utter bewilderment.

-"You and I have ben through thick and thin. I've played pranks on you _before that_. So what's this one got you so riled up about?" She snapped. Cynthia narrowed her eyes.

-"I had feelings for you. I had the biggest crush on the goddamn planet for you and you _ceased_ to actually notice it!" The red-head explained. Cameron's face grew pale, her scrunched up emotions supplanting into softer ones.

-"Wait.. really?"

-"Oh get the hell out." Mark snapped. Cameron spun on her foot and smacked him, the clap of her hand against his cheek echoing in the small room.

-"Shut up, Fischbach. Take it to you to sleep with her fucking _brother_. I bet you think you were the only one that had nightmares about that night. Well I DO TOO. I remember the freaking night that one of my closest friends _died_ \--"

-"No. You remember the night where you made a poor girl, turning into a woman might I add, cry and drive home while _I_ got to drive with _my boyfriend_. AKA, _her brother_. So don't you pin shit on us, especially _me_ when all _YOU_ did was _make YOUR FRIEND **CRY**_." Mark shouted, jotting a finger into her should each time his tone rose. His eyes were ablaze with anger, his fingers were hot and on the brink of catching on fire and his nostrils fuming.

The younger girl took the shots and was left a slightly quivering mess before she took a deep breath and got into Mark's face.

-"And what did you do to save Matt? All you did was save yourself. Or else how could you have landed all the way across that road while his car burst into flames?" She sneered. Mark took the heavy punch straight to his heart and gut. He felt his blood drop at her words.

-"NURSE!" Cynthia shouted. A woman with frizzy black hair entered the room accordingly. "Please lead this stranger out of my room. I'm afraid I don't know her."

Cameron's eyes widened and the nurse had a small smirk as he took her arm and began leading her out the room.

-"Gurl, I told you that you ain't no damn family." The nurse whispered as she dragged Cameron out as she shouted pleas to her old friends.

Mark stood there, looking slightly exhausted when he took full notice of his friend.

She was wearing a loud of bandages against her head and had a foam contraption to keep her head up, around her neck. Then she had a several forms of gauze wrapping the entirety of her limbs.

-"How you doing?" Mark asked, shyly.

-"Don't you dare think you're off the hook. What the hell is the matter with you?" She snapped. Mark shrugged, looking at the ground in shame. "Damn right you better feel guilty. You got my ass in a hospital."

-"I know. I just.. I was losing control again.." Mark mumbled.

-"Jesus Christ, Mark. Why did you come in so angry. You're never angry unless--" she said before stopping herself and looking at him with worried eyes. "What did you do to Jack?"

-"I-I... may have.. scared him.. a little.."

-"Does he know?" She asked, her voice dropping to a gravely worried tone.

-"No. I don't hope so.." He replied, sullenly. She let out a breath. "I'm gonna ask for a transfer. So I can room with you instead--"

-"No. You have to learn to control yourself on your _own_ " She said. Mark nodded his head, knowing that if he continued the conversation that it would result the same way it had the past multiple times. 

-"I just don't want to hurt him..." Mark whispered. She perked her attention at that.

-"Do you... like him.. or something?" She asked. Mark shrugged.

-"I'm not sure... I think so. I don't know." He said, shrugging. She gave him a sympathetic smile.

-"Just don't let yourself lose yourself." She said. Mark nodded his head and smiled at her.

-"Thanks, Cyn."

-"yeah, thanks for putting me in a goddam hospital for the next week." She said, scoffing. Mark brought up his shoulders shyly. "Now go collect my homework, peasant." She said as he chuckled. He waved her a goodbye and left the room, soon the hospital.

* * *

-"The hell?" Jack muttered as he unsheathed a box of extra large condoms from his sock drawer. Jack nodded appreciatively at them before putting them back. He continued digging around before his hands felt an all-too familiar object he remembered from High School.

Guiltily, Jack decided not to pop a boner from memories of using his dildo and placing Mark's own back into the drawer. As Jack continued digging around, he finally gave up after pushing back in a drawer of corny T-Shirts and he laid against the heels of his feet. He looked around Mark's side of the room again before being content with everything that was back in place.

 He was standing up, using the bedpost as leverage when he noticed it.

A small sliver of red underneath the mattress. Jack reached down to touch and yank the material when he felt a small feeling of heat emanate from it. Curiously, jack was about to pull it when he heard the lock of the dorm being jiggled. He threw himself backwards and landed on his bed, face down. He pretended to fall asleep and threw in a few light snores.

Mark stepped into their small dorm, kicked off his shoes and let out a sigh as he threw his keys onto his desk. He left their dorm around 9:25. it was past lunchtime now.

-"Jack?" Mark called out to the 'sleeping' man. Mark let out a respective breath and decided to plop onto his own desk. He scrolled through websites before he found a game on Steam, downloaded it and began playing it. A small noise sounded through the room, so he put on headphones to play it. Jack perked his head slightly and looked back to see if Mark would notice him, and he didn't. Jack carefully lifted himself from his bed and tiptoed behind Mark to see him beginning a game called Undertale. Jack had already played it and chuckled to see Mark paying close attention to the words on the screen.

As Jack moved away and looked into their mini-fridge for a drink, he felt a tap on his shoulder and failed to not flail around in fear to see Mark standing above the crouched figure. Jack scampered rapidly and felt his back hit the door, the mini-fridge still slightly open. Jack tried hugging his knees again, but the jeans he decided to change into didn't cooperate as well as he wanted them to.

-"S-sorry.. I didn't mean to scare you." Mark said, his voice saddened. Jack looked at him with fear and curiosity.

-"Ye mean this morning o-or now?" jack asked, not caring if it sounded rude. Mark winced slightly at it before falling down and sitting cross-legged from Jack.

-"Both." He said after a moment.

Jack looked at the mini-fridge slightly open and he moved slowly to close it. Mark, suddenly aware of what he was doing, moved his hand to close it as well. When Mark's hand landed atop jack's when they closed the door, the skinnier of the two flinched and pulled his hand back as if he touched burning coal. Mark felt instantly bad.

-"S-sorry. I'll just go." mark mumbled as he stood up and grabbed his laptop case, throwing in his laptop and charger, headphones around his neck. Jack looked at him innocently and wide-eyed from where he was at the door. He didn't move.

-"Yer fine.." Jack mumbled as he slowly slid up the door, keeping Mark inside.

-"Jack, it's clearly not fine. I yelled and I--"

-"it's okay. It happens..."

-"But it shouldn't and I'm sorry.." Mark pleaded, helplessly reaching for the door handle but jack standing in the way for it to open. "Please.. I can make it up to you by leaving you alone the rest of the day.."

-"No. I like havin' yer company around."

-"JACK I COULD HURT YOU." Mark shouted, causing Jack to flinch a little at the sudden rise. Mark looked down at his feet and cursed under his breath. "See? This is what I mean.."

-"Ye won't hurt me Mark." The Brunette announced.

-"How are you so sure?" Mark said, suddenly in jack's space as he dropped his laptop's case safely behind him and staying a mere inch or two from Jack's face. "How are you sure.. I won't hurt you.."

Their breaths mingled slightly, Jack's eyes searched Mark's. He saw warmth.. and deadliness... but also care and harmony.

-"I'm not.." jack whispered. Mark's eyes flicked down to see the small freckles adorning Jack's nose. The way they spread from there. Small freckles you could only see from very up close. Like a constellation that an astronomer could get lost in. "But I know ye won't.."

-"But I could..." Mark whispered back. Their faces grew closer, bit by bit.

-"But ye won't.." jack replied in a tone low enough for them to hear.

-"But.." Mark began to say before their lips connected.

And their minds exploded in bliss, love, passion, confusion, lust, comfort and most importantly:

Fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there goes the fandom.


	8. Grey Prius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is basically the chapter we've all been waiting for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNINGS!**  
> Smut (mentioned indirectly)  
> Car Crash  
> Vivid Fire Scenery  
> Intense PTSD  
> Major Character Death

Mark led his boyfriend away from the crowd and slammed him against the wall on the stairs, rattling a few picture frames that were hung up. Mark attacked his mouth, teeth clacking and his tongue searching his lover's mouth. Matt let out a small moan as Mark bit the bottom lip and dragged his teeth away, letting the plump pile of skin smack soundlessly against Matt's mouth.

-"Mine." Mark mumbled as he placed a hickey visibly on his neck. A girl walking up the stairs cooed at Mark and he snapped at her to get lost. Mark continued attacking neck and Matt had to use as much strength as possible to get Mark off.

-"Woah woah... calm down...geez. _I'm_ supposed to be the jealous one.." Matt said, chuckling at Mark.

-"And I'm supposed to be a good schoolboy. But around you I'm _crazy_ " Mark whispered hotly in his ear which made his knees buckle momentarily.

-"M-mark.. can we not. We're here to have a good time." Matt stuttered out nervously. Mark pinned him back against the wall and slid his leg between Matt's.

-"So _let's_ have a good time... after all, you wanted me to come.. right?" Mark taunted. Matt rolled his eyes at him, feeling his leg doing things against his groin.

-"Okay. One blowjob." Matt said as Mark growled happily and led them up the rest of the stairs.

* * *

 

One Blowjob and two surprisingly fast cumshots later, they stepped out of the bathroom and walked down the stairs, Matt avoiding the wince at each step he took from the amount of hickeys Mark placed along his thighs. As they sat down at the bottom of the stairs, Mark leaning against Matt, Cynthia came up to them in near tears, holding a polaroid camera in one hand.

-"Oh hey-- Oh god, are you okay?" Mark asked as he stood up looking at her worriedly.

-"I-i'm going to take your jeep. I-is that okay?" She asked as she shook with a sudden sob. Her make-up could have dripped if it wasn't entirely waterproof. Matt's defenses rose and he scanned the crowd around them to see if anybody was running towards them.

-"Cynthia, what happened? Who did this?" He demanded with worry, care and anger. She shook her head at him.

-"I-it doesn't fucking matter. I just want to leave. I'll see you at home." She said as Mark handed her the keys from his back pocket.

-"Okay. Be safe, there's gonna be some rain tonight" Mark warned as she nodded her head and turned, leaving them at the stairwell.

-"Jesus... it's her birthday, for fuck's sake." Matt sighed as he ran a hand down his face in anxiety. Mark had a sympathetic expression on his face before patting his shoulder.

-"It's okay. She doesn't hold grudges. Unless it was bad like--"

-"Have you seen Cynthia?!" Cameron exclaimed as she suddenly ran up to them, frantically pushing strands of her hair back.

-"Uh.. yeah. She just left? Why, what happened to _you_?" Matt asked her.

-"I may or may not have.. done.. a sick prank on her.." She said, lowering her head in shame. Matt's eyes narrowed.

-"Are you serious? What could you have done?" Mark asked, bewildered by her actions. She raised her head slightly, a few tears forming atop her bottom eyelashes.

-"I don't know. It was supposed to be something to remember. A joke, simply!" She exclaimed.

-"You better fix this.." Matt warned as he stood closer. "Before I do." he continued darkly.

-"Babe..." Mark said beside him, placing a hand on his chest. The taller boy's angered eyes flicked down to meet Mark's soft ones. "Don't." He warned. Cameron took that as her opportunity to sprint out of their presence and went to search her way to the outside of the house.

-"If she hurt my sister in any way.." Matt gritted through his teeth.

-"Then we'll solve it. We can't let this just dictate everything we do from here on out. We only have two more weeks before we leave, anyway." Mark said, smiling at him sincerely.

-"Yeah.." was all he said before he sat back down. Mark carded his fingers through his soft, brown hair before they heard a cheer from everybody in the living room, signaling someone must have made an unbelievable shot during Beer Pong. Mark let out a snort for a laugh at his classmate's antics.

-"You know.. I think I'll change my major just to be with you.." Matt suddenly said over the music. Mark's eyebrows shot up.

-"Oh c'mon, Matt. We've been over this--"

-"No, just hear me out. Listen, I want to be with you and make it last. Hell, I'd even propose right here with a cut out ping pong if I have to." Matt said, turning to meet Mark's eyes. Mark chuckled as he turned his face away to cover the blush that grew.

-"No.. you don't have to.." Mark mumbled.

-"I know I don't... because I don't need a ring to prove how much I love you.." Matt said, raising the jet-black boy's head with his finger on his chin. Mark's blush grew as he saw Matt's giant smile.

-"I love you.." Mark mumbled.

-"I love you more.." He whispered as he kissed him. They both sat there, Mark's shoulder on his before they decided to get ready to leave. People were running in, soaked in rain from outside. They thought they saw Cameron walking in as well, but they weren't exactly sure.

-"We're going now!" Matt shouted to someone behind them. Mark was paying attention to the girl who was currently attempting to pull off the duck-tape bra she was clearly forced into.

-"See ya later, bro! Woo!" Another underage student shouted as they began leaving.

They rushed toward Matt's car and got in quickly, the rain beating down rapidly onto the sidewalk and asphalt as they crossed the street. Once both doors were closed, they laughed at the rush they just had.

-"I'd say let's kiss in the rain but..." Matt said with a chuckle. Mark laughed at that as well.

-"so... _my_ parents aren't home.." Mark said, looking at Matt. His boyfriend turned to face him with a smirk.

-"Mark Edward Fischbach, are you trying to womanize me?"

The male with glasses blushed and scuffed his feet, a soft squeak coming from the rubber surrounding his shoes.

-"No.." He mumbled shyly.

Suddenly, Mark felt a hand placed above his knee and felt it slowly slide up before it stopped next to his crotch.

-"Are you sure?" He heard him whisper into his ear. Mark lunged at him and kissed him roughly before breaking apart and sitting on his side of the car calmly. Matt sat there, almost leaning against his door, shocked. He ran his finger on his lip and let out a huff. "Alrighty then.."

He started up the car and they began driving through the rain, the windshield wipers making a rhythmic tone throughout the duration of the car ride. Mark was looking outside of the rain ripped window, his eyes trying to focus past the water droplets scraping across it, he looked over to see Matt smiling as he drove. It broke a grin onto him as well.

-"What're you smilin' about?" Matt asked, his grin still plastered on his face.

-"Well what are _you_ smiling about?" Mark retorted with the raise of an eyebrow.

-"Just you.." he replied as he returned his attention back onto the road.

-"Dawwe.. you flatter me.." Mark said with the flick of his wrist to dismay the compliment. Matt smiled at him and turned to look at him. Mark dared a glance to see him staring and he felt suddenly self-conscious of himself.

-"So did you like the party?" Matt asked. Mark chuckled.

-"Sure." He replied with a shrug.

-"C'mon... be honest with me.." Matt persisted with a smile.

-"okay... it was better than I expected." Mark confessed with a sigh. Matt was content with his answer.

-"See? I told you." He said with a smirk. "I feel like you had a lot of fun tonight."

-"Yeah yeah. It was merely because I had been able to have fun with you, specifically." the passenger confessed.

-"Aww." It was Matt's turn to say the expression. He felt endeared to hear that from Mark, even though he felt some doubt tugging at him.

-"And it may have also involved a long conversation with MatPat." Mark added. Matt rolled his eyes.

-"Nerd." He snorted. Mark lightly punched his arm, causing Matt to announce th sudden pain.

-"Sucks for you." Mark remarked with the cock of an eyebrow. Matt smirked before darting his hand and trying to tickle Mark's neck, causing him to cringe. He reached and darted two fingers to tickle Matt who giggled giddily in his seat.

-"Stop! Stop! I'm driving in a _storm!_ " Matt giggled before Mark stopped his actions with a smirk.

-"Shall we listen to the radio, my love?" Mark teased in a British accent.

-"Sure." Matt replied with the roll of his eyes. Mark turned on the radio in which some cheesy romance song was playing. A sudden continuous beeping, four times to be exact, rang in the air of the car. It sent a shiver through both men, goosebumps rising automatically in random fear of the unknown. The noise made Mark sit uncomfortably for a reason.

-" _This is not a drill. The National Weather Services cautions for any drivers and for people in the Southern Los Angeles area to be cautious of the heavy rain and hail for the rest of this evening and entering nightfall.  Hurricane Clarence is hitting coast and is causing severe flash floods throughout most of southern California. Please be cautious._ "

**Beep. Beep. Beep.**

Mark and Matt sat silent for a few seconds as they looked around and saw flashes of lightning around them, the thunder startling Mark.

Mark never admitted but thunderstorms scared Mark, severely. His eyes flashed a bright red as he stared out the window in fear.

-"You okay, babe?" Matt asked. Mark nodded his head. They kept their eyes on the road and none of them broke the silence for a good five minutes after Mark shut off the radio.

-"Thunderstorms scare me.." Mark muttered.

-"Aww. It's alright." Matt said, lacing his  hand into Mark's, "I'll protect you." He said, his eyes focusing on Mark's to show reassurance. Mark smiled at him before he noticed a large blearing light in front of them. A ray of lightning smacked into a tree not too far from them.

-"FUCK, MATT!" Mark shouted. Matt swerved the car momentarily and a car was making it's way around the start of the curve.

-"MARK!" Matt shouted as he grabbed his hand but retracting it in pain when he felt them hot like a pan. He looked at Mark's hands glowing a deep orange and white, "M-mark?" matt questioned, not knowing hat was happening to him.

Mark never had the courage to tell Matt, in fear of him leaving him thinking he was a freak. The car coming their way honked twice and Matt's eyes averted back on the road widening in horror.

-"MATT, THE BRAKES--!!" Mark screamed before the cars slammed into each other.

The black truck was spun and was stopped by hitting into the railing awhile the gray Prius spun out of control and eventually flipped over. As the car skidded on it's hood, they noticed a person running out of the truck and crouching down before turning and presumably calling the ambulance. Then they got in their car and drove away in a hurry. Mark unbuckled himself and saw Matt groaning in his seat, eyes hooded and blood trailing down his temple.

-"M-matt." mark sputtered out as he unbuckled him. Matt flinched and looked at Mark with worry.

-"Mark! A-are you okay?" He gasped. mark nodded his head as best he could. "O-oh thank god.."

-"Matt, we need to get out of here.." Mark warned, his hands ablaze in true fear. Matt looked down to see his hands and his eyes widened.

-"Mark.. y-your hands--"

-"I know. it's normal. I swear. C'mon. We have to go.." Mark pleaded as he began crawling out.

As Mark crawled out of the car, he looked back to see Matt close behind him.

-"C'mon.. w-we got this. It's fine." Matt said, pushing Mark ahead. As Matt was standing up, he gave out  blood curdling scream as he crumpled to the ground. His leg was twisted in a sick position and a large piece of glass was embedded into his knee joint.

-"Matt--!"

-"Go! GO!" Matt shouted as he tried dragging himself away from the car.

-"M-Matt. Oh god.." he whimpered as he tried walking near him but noticed his hands were ablaze. Mark couldn't turn them off that time and was panicking in not being able to help his boyfriend.

-"Mark! go! Flag down the ambulance. I'll be fine!"

-"No! Fuck, Matt!" Mark gasped out as he saw the engine beginning to light on fire. A Loud screech was heard and a spark of flames spewed out from the upside-down car.

-"GO!" Matt demanded.

-"N-no! I w-won't" Mark shouted through tears. He felt useless and hopeless. Matt was trying to drag himself without jamming his palm into a another shard of glass.

-"Mark! I love you.." He gasped.

-"No! Don't you _DARE_ say it like it's goodbye!" Mark whimpered. Matt cupped Mark's cheek, looking into the blazing, red eyes.

-"I'm saying it like it's a welcoming.." he whispered before kissing Mark dearly. As they kept their kiss, Mark heard more sparks and an almost groan from the car.

-"Now go.." Matt whispered as tears slipped down his cut up face.

-"Matt! You can't just die on me!"

-"I won't die.. I'll just be in some afterlife.. like heaven.."

-"Matt I don't want you to go!" Mark sobbed. "I don't want you to go to heaven. I want you to be with me!"

-"I won't be leaving you, Mark." Matt whispered. "Because _you're_ my heaven."

-"Matt--!" Mark gasped before he saw the car slowly bursting in flames. Mark grabbed Matt by his shirt, ignoring how fiery his hands were and suddenly dashed in a millisecond away from the exploding car. Mark noticed his hands died down and that his tears were a bright orange that landed on the asphalt and gave it a small hiss as they hit it and created a tiny dent.

Lava Tears.

-"Matt?" Mark gasped to the unconscious boy. He looked at his leg and noticed the sharp in his knee was dragged farther to half-way down his leg. "FUCK! MATT! STAY WITH ME!"

No response.

-"MATT!" He exclaimed before he leaned down and kissed him, pouring in love and care into the kiss. He felt Matt's breath, slowly. He checked his pulse as he broke apart and was relieved to feel his heart beating, but just barely.

Mark lifted Matt's head and kissed him again, praying to any god out there that he lives until the paramedics arrive soon.

* * *

Mark broke apart the kiss, looking at Jack with widening eyes.

-"but you're not dead..." Mark whispered as he stepped back suddenly. Jack's eyes fluttered open and instantly looked ashamed.

-"Oh.. I'm sorry. oh god..." Jack muttered.

-"I'm g-going to hurt you.. J-Jack." Mark warned weakly.

-"No ye won't" Jack replied as he walked closer to Mark who stood taller and tried to appear tougher, but to no avail as he felt tears reaching his eyes.

-"I've hurt people before! Why would you be any different?" Mark asked, tempting the Irishman's wit. Jack sighed.

-"No ye won't, because you care about me too much..." Jack replied simply, shrugging and deeply afraid of saying this but not expressing it on the outside.

-"I hurt matt..." Mark whispered. Jack's eyes softened.

-"How..?" Jack dared to ask as he took a step towards Mark again.

-"I-i'm the reason he died.." Mark said as he felt a sob roll out of his mouth. He felt tears sliding down his eyes suddenly.

-"Oh Mark.. Mark, I'm sure yer not tha reason 'e died.." Jack said as he pulled him into a hug.

-"B-but I am--"

-"Not the reason he died." Jack said, cutting off his sentence and trying for an optimistic solution.

Mark stopped trying to convince himself even more as he let himself cry on Jack's shoulder. The latter, patting his back in acknowledgment. The taller man's cries slowly subsided to dull whimpers into the Irishman's shoulder. Jack picked Mark's head up and smiled at him.

-"I'm sure Matt would forgive ye if his death was becau' of ye." Jack said softly. Mark nodded his head at him and wiped behind his glasses.

-"I'm sorry... for crying on your shoulder.." mark announced.

-"It's alright, Mark... I have an extra shoulder to cry on if you'd like..." Jack said with a chuckle. Mark laughed at that. Jack was heading to his bed to lay down when he felt a hand grip his wrist.

-"C-could you... maybe... lay with me?" Mark asked shyly. looking at Jack with pleading eyes nonetheless.

He nodded his head and they went to Mark's bed where they basically spooned. They got comfortable for a second, letting themselves bask in the still moment before Jack felt his eyes begin to droop. And as Mark held onto Jack, he couldn't help but hear Mark whisper:

-"I just don't want to dream about a grey Prius.."

And then they slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO yeah, that's Mark's past!  
> BUT, next chapter we will see Cameron once more to fuck up Cynthia a little bit more.
> 
> SO YEAH. I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER.


	9. Cherries And Nuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark fears his powers are getting out of control,
> 
> Cynthia faces an old friend/new foe,
> 
> Jack decides to snoop around and comes across something strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, let's heat things up, shall we? [Literally, LMAO PUNS FOR DAYYYYZZZZZ]

Mark has felt that something has been off. He doesn't understand what it is since it started earlier that morning.

He had just returned from a run when he jumped into the shower, quietly to keep Jack asleep, when his body literally burst into flames in the shower which caused him to scream in sudden pain at the water drowning his power. Then it stopped and Mark was left a hissing pain on the floor.

Then, he grabbed a quick breakfast with Jack and his bagel suddenly ended up burnt by the time they got to their class. Jack laughed and figured it was just served to him wrong since it was a busy morning. But Mark knew better. It happened before in High School.

And now Mark was sitting in class and turning in his paper, turning back around to see that his bag had suddenly caught on fire back at his seat. Thankfully, nobody noticed as they were all mostly rushing out of the class. Mark quickly put it out, summoning it to cease, and he rushed to the bathroom where he now was.

Staring down at his hands in fear and wonder. He heard the bathroom door open suddenly and heard two people incessantly kissing. Mark rolled his eyes as he closed his hands, ceasing the flame that was starting to bloom across his palm.

He quickly grabbed his bag and began exiting the bathroom when he saw two people making out intensely against a wall. He rolled his eyes and felt a longed feeling in his heart. It could have been him and Jack but...

After Mark's little freak-out incident the last week, they've grown slightly distant. Jack becomes more sensitive around Mark and he stays more quiet around him. Mark had one bad dream and Jack was already at his side, helping him... but Mark didn't want to be treated so fragile.

As Mark exited the bathroom again, he ran into a familiar person with sandy blonde hair.

-"Oh, hey Felix.." Mark greeted, looking at him with small surprise.

-"Hi.." He replied, suspicion on his face. "What's... up?" He questioned, shouldering his backpack farther onto him.

-"Nothing.. I just um.. ran... into you.." Mark stated, quite obviously. Felix was giving him a look that meant he was curious of the other man's attitude and actions.

Mark had heard little of Felix, but enough to know to get a familiar sense of him.

Jack had spoken to the American about the blood-borne Swedish. Jack had told Mark about how he was a great adventurer, strived to be a famous film director and photographer, how his family always tried to do the best for him and how he was the first, and practically only, friend that Jack made at the university.

-"Are you uh... heading to your.. uhh? What class do you have next?" mark asked, scratching the back of his head. Felix raised a brow.

-"Film. I have it with.. Jack.." Felix said. Mark felt his palms getting the sweat suddenly sucked in and could feel the small pinch in the back of his eyes.

-"Right. Um, okay, I have to go now." Mark muttered as he began making his way past Felix who stepped in front and blocking his exit.

-"You okay?" Felix asked, face filled more with confusion than worry.

-"Peachy. See you around, uhh, Felix." Mark said as he practically shoved past him. He flipped up the hood on his sleeveless jacket and made his way around the outdoor halls of the building before he made a quick jog to the dorms. He almost sprinted up the stairs to reach his dorm room where he threw open the door to reveal a flustered Jack suddenly bounce from his spot on the bed and shut his laptop.

-"Dah! guhh... hi..." Jack said, scratching the back of his neck. He unconsciously began rubbing circles into the back of his hand, a tick that Mark noticed when he was nervous.

-"H-hey.." Mark said, shocked by his roommate's presence. Mark felt his hair slowly growing and he excused himself as he shut the bathroom door behind him. He started breathing slightly ragged and looked at himself in the mirror. His black hair was growing until it looked like a messy, fluffy mess atop his head before it began tinting itself into a soft orange then to a vibrant red. He felt noticed his eyes flicking between Blue, Pink, White, Brown and Red. He felt his arms glowing a bright red that began to sear the countertop of the sink in which he retreated and walked backward into the wall behind him on accident. He felt his feet growing hot in their shoes.

-"Fuck fuck fuck.." He muttered. He was losing it. He was probably going to burn the building down and kill the guy he liked. His roommate.

-"Hey, is Mark here?" he heard Cynthia call out from outside. Great, now he was going to kill his crush _and_ best friend.

-"Uh... JUST A MINUTE." He shouted. Cynthia knocked on the door.

-"Broo you owe me pizza after we clarified that Jessica's hair was originally blue, and not purple. Mark?" She called out. Mark quickly unlocked the door and pulled her in, one of her crutches falling as he locked the door again. "Dude oww! you're like--... Literally _on fire_ " She hissed silently the last two words.

-"I know. It's bad. I'm losing it. I think i'm losing it. Oh god I'm losing it aren't I?" Mark muttered.

-"uhh... is everything alright?" Jack asked through the door.

-"WE'RE FINE." They exclaimed in unison. Jack's eyebrows shot up in surprise before he shrugged.

-"I'll see you later Mark, I'm heading to class now." Jack said as he made his way out of the dorm room. Cynthia let out a breath.

-"First of all," she said as she turned on the sink, "cool your fists of fury. Literally."

She unlocked the door and peered out to make sure Jack had left as Mark left his hands under the running water which subsided the glow. She flicked her wrist toward herself and walked out of the bathroom, grabbing her fallen crutch with one hand. As Mark exited along with her, Jack opened the door.

-"I almost forgot my charger!" Jack exclaimed as he ran in, Cynthia throwing ark backward as he literally caught on fire. Jack said a quick goodbye, not noticing her as he left. She looked back and stared at Mark who was now laying on the floor, his head leaning against the tub. His eyes were closed and he returned to a normal appearance, although his clothes were quite literally smoking.

-"Jesus Christ, I did not bribe a nurse to let me out early for this B S..." She muttered.

* * *

-"And that, ladies and gentlemen is why filters can either ruin your life or save it." their teacher concluded. Everyone began closing their notebooks in finality. "AND do not forget you have your shots due right now. Drop them into the bin at the door, if it does not have your name then clearly High School had not taught you anything about claiming your own work."

Jack and Felix let out a sigh. Jack clicked his pen closed as he finally finished copying some notes from Felix and they began packing their things. As they began leaving the room, they dropped their photos into the designated bin as asked and left the large classroom along with another random student. As they rushed out, Jack caught Felix texting rapidly on his phone and smiling slightly.

-"Who ya textin'?" Jack asked as he bumped their shoulders. Felix chuckled and put his phone into his back pocket.

-"The girl I will claim to be mine." He said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Cynthia put away her phone with a smile as she placed another freezing wet rag onto Mark's forehead. Smoke protruded from the placement above his forehead and he let out a whimper that she silenced by putting more pressure on the cloth.

-"Uh huh." Jack said, raising an eyebrow. "Are we speakin' about Cynthia or... that girl who ye flirted with the entire time in class?" Felix shoved him.

-"Shut up, we didn't flirt, all I did was hand her a pencil and she gave me a piece of gum in return." The swede replied.

-"So yer basically banging?" Jack said. Felix scoffed as his friend laughed.

-"Oh yeh, I'd like to see you and Mark get it on." Felix teased.

-"Oh, ye want tah watch, eh? Didn't know ye were _that_ kinky, Kjellberg." Jack replied. Felix rolled his eyes.

-"Just saying, you two need to get... it.. on!" Felix said a little too loud for the Irishman's comfort, rolling his hips forward on each of the three words.

-"Okay, good luck wooing the lesbian.." Jack chuckled.

-"She's actually pansexual, mind you.." Felix said, raising an eyebrow.

-"Oh, my apologies Sir Kjellberg." Jack said in a mock-medieval tone.

-"Damn right, make me a sandwich." He said.

Both men laughed at the words before they subsided and reached the grass that spread across the walkway to the dorms. The said grass, was turning a pale shade of yellow and green. The autumn leaves were dulling and falling by the bucket load.

-"Ah.. fall.." Felix said, inhaling air.

-"Isn't it beautiful?" Jack said, looking around them. Felix let out an approving huff and nodded. Their gaze was interrupted by a woman in wild clothes and bright purple hair strutting in their eyesight, going towards the women's dorms.

-"Who's that?" Felix asked, watching her walk and glance at an envelope in her hand occasionally.

-"Uh... I don't know. I haven't seen them around. Maybe they just dyed their hair or something." Jack said.  Felix chuckled.

-"Bro, you should dye your hair." Felix said, looking at Jack expectantly.

-"What? Blonde like you?" Jack asked with a laugh.

-"No, I'm saying like... hmm.. green." Felix said, raising an all-too-well eyebrow.

-"Yer a pain In me arse, Kjellberg." Jack said, giving him a light shove as they made their way forward toward their dorms.

As they walked by, they saw Matthew walking out of Felix's dorm, freezing upon seeing him.

-"O-oh... hey." He said, taking a step back. Felix looked at him curiously and Jack raised an eyebrow with a smile.

-"Hey, MatPat." jack greeted.

-"A-are you, going in?" Matthew asked the swede. He nodded his head slowly. the American held the door open for him and Felix walked in slowly with curiosity.

-"uh.. see you later, Jack." He said awkwardly. Matthew closed the door and cornered Jack against the railing.

-"Listen.. I saw something weird. He had some monitor thing under his bed, Jack. I didn't snoop to find out what but... it looked really shady. It had something about muscle strength or some crazy thing. I didn't snoop, I'm not that kind of guy but... it's really shady nonetheless. Maybe there's something you could tell me so I don't worry that he'll probe me or something?" Matthew said. Jack looked at him with surprise and confusion.

-"uhh... not that I know of? Felix never tells me everything but... I know almost everything about him..." Jack admitted. Matthew nodded his head.

-"There are some things we don't know about a lot of people, huh? Like... wild things.." the other brunette mused. jack nodded his head.

-"Yeah..." Jack replied, going deep in thought with that.

-'Alright, see you around."

-"later, MatPat" Jack said as he began turning around as well and opening his dorm room with the key.

He entered the room to see Mark and Cynthia.

Kissing.

Obscenely.

He felt a small tinge of jealousy ignite in him at the sight.

-"And that. Is how you kiss properly." Mark said as they broke apart, not noticing the man that walked in.

-"oh please! I said I haven't kissed in a while, not that I suck at it..." she exclaimed, smacking his arm in annoyance.

-"Admit it, I'm the best kiss you've ever had..." Mark teased.

-"Oh yeah right. I almost threw up." She replied. Mark scoffed and they began laughing before jack cleared his throat and their attention snapped at him. They froze mid laugh and Cynthia quickly grabbed her crutch and stood up.

-"S-sorry! I'm just.. going to.. go now..." she said as she shuffled past Jack and out of their dorm room.

-"Sorry about that we were just.. uh... kissing.. as... friends.." mark said awkwardly from his bed. Jack locked eyes with him.

-"I understand..." jack mumbled as he walked farther into the room and set down his bag on his bed.

-"We're not dating. If.. you're going to assume that.." Mark said hurriedly.

-"I know, Mark." Jack replied as he pulled out some of his things from his satchel.

-"Yeah. T-that only happened once. I just.. helped her out cause she hasn't kissed anybody and she wanted to make sure she didn't mess up when she kissed Fel--"

-"I get it..." Jack said with a chuckle. Mark shut his mouth and nodded his head once at him.

-"Sorry..." he mumbled. Jack laughed at him.

As he kicked off his shoes and climbed onto his bed, he opened up his laptop and plugged his headphones into his phone to listen to music as he worked. Right before he placed them on his head though, Mark spoke again.

-"Am I a... good kisser?" Mark asked. Jack turned to look at him.

-"yeah..." Jack replied, giving thought to their shared kiss. "Am.. I?" Jack asked.

-"Oh yeah, you're alright." Mark said before his eyes widened. :I mean you're more than alright. You're great. Amazing, actually! I would totally kiss you again. I mean--! I would kiss you again if you wanted to. we don't have to, I'm not asking you to I'm just saying that if we kissed again then..I would like that. I MEAN, I wouldn't like that because. I MEAN I WOULD. You're a great kisser. I would kiss you again. Yup. Ten out of ten.. I'm going to shut up now... "Mark rambled. Jack let out  a laugh that made him almost cry at Mark's anxiety. The other man cracked a small smile hearing his marvelous laugh.

-"Jaysus Mark, I get it.." he said as his laughter subdued.

Mark blushed brightly before he laid back down on his bed and pulled out his phone to distract him from his utter embarrassment.

* * *

 

Cynthia had just reached her dorm room and was about to unlock her door when the door swung open revealing a tall built girl with purple hair.

-"oh! Cynthia!" Cameron exclaimed.

-"oh Jesus Christ..." she grumbled,

-"I was looking for you but your roommate said you weren't in yet so I was going to wait but I have a flight so-"

-"So now you can leave. Bye." Cynthia said, shoving past her. Hannah [Hart bc I have no reasons. SHHH just go with it] held the door open for her.

-"Oh great, you're back" She said cheerily. "sorry if she's crabby, she just got out of the hospital."

-"yeah yeah, I know.. I just came to check up on her.." she said. Cynthia rolled her eyes and walked back to the doorframe.

-"Well here I am. All good! You can go now." Cynthia said, bored of the other girl's antics.

-"yeah... I can see that.." She said with a smile. "Listen.. if you ever need someone to talk to, here's my--"

-"If I ever need someone to talk to it'll either be good ol' Hannah here, or Mark." Cynthia snapped. Her gaze remained the same as she held a piece of paper in her hands.

-"I know, but if--"

-"UGH, and should 'If's' and 'But's' be Cherries and Nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas." Cynthia said, cutting her off again.

Hannah had an amused expression on her face and began to step away quietly from them.

-"Cyn... don't be a bitch.." Cameron pleaded.

-"Oh, I'm the bitch? You're the one that pulled a prank on me--"

-"years ago! I was stupid and i'm sorry!" She pleaded. Cynthia scoffed.

-"Okay, sure.."

-"You can't be mad at me forever..."

-"Oh really now? haha, watch me." Cynthia replied, crossing her arms over her chest and flicking a strand of hair behind her shoulder.

Cameron looked at her sadly.

-"You have to forgive me... please..." she said softly, eyes casting downward. "All I want.. is for us to be friends again..."

Cynthia's gaze dropped and she placed a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. The other girl's gaze flicked to meet hers with a tint of hope lining it.

-"But I don't." Cynthia said as she let go and closed the door on her face. Cynthia held no regrets as she closed that door. She sighed and turned to look at Hanna staring at her with two spoons, a tub of ice cream and a bottle of wine on her bed.

-"You seem like you want to talk about it." She said with a shrug.

-"I really don't" the red-head replied.

-Sure you do. C'mon, join me." the blonde said, motioning for her to come forward. Cynthia sighed and limped over, sitting on her comfy bed. "So, let's pretend like we're silly little white girls at a slumber party and start from the beginning."

-"So I had just turned Eighteen..." Cynthia began, defeat ridden across her face as she popped open the wine bottle.

* * *

 

Mark had gone out to work out.

So Jack decided to continue his little search around Mark's room.

After what Matthew had told him, it got him thinking that maybe he could figure something out about the strange American.

He dug around and found a small box labeled **Matt's Stuff**. He knew he shouldn't pry, especially since it was his dead boyfriend.

 _I'm going to hell anyway_ jack thought as he opened the box to reveal...

A lot of things.

There were photos of the two of them, small little handcrafted objects, and there was even a love letter. Jack read it and found it insanely endearing. He found a pair of car keys amusing since he didn't ever see Mark drive around anywhere. Jack kept that as a mental note and placed everything back where it was before sliding it under the bed. He looked at the photos Mark had framed when Jack smelt a vague sense of smoke and scorch marks on the edge of the bed.

Jack inspected closer and noticed they were fresh.

 _Mark doesn't smoke... so where re these from?_ Jack wondered. He looked closer at them in curiosity. When he noticed a red fabric underneath the mattress again. Jack reached forward to touch it and felt the material was almost familiar.

But from what?

Jack was about to pull it completely out when he heard the door unlock. Jack panicked and flung himself off of Mark's bed and land on the space between the two. Mark entered, sweat covered and drenched to see him sprawled on the floor like that.

-"You okay?" Mark asked, slightly breathless.

Jack nodded his head and Mark raised an eyebrow before chuckling. He peeled off his shirt and was making his way into the bathroom when Jack noticed a large scorch on his back. The door closed behind him and Jack was suddenly alert to that.

-"So tonight there's going to be this Karaoke event, wanna cone?" Mark shouted from inside the bathroom. Jack replied with agreement before he reached forward on Mark's bed and tugged on the material to reveal it was long with jagged lines at the bottom. It looked almost like-- "Can you hand me a shirt?" Mark called out.

Jack stuffed the material back under the mattress and he frantically picked a random drawer and grabbed a tank top to hand Mark's outstretched arm. He said a quick Thank you and closed the door.

Jack was getting a growing suspicion about his roommate, and he wasn't entirely sure he would like the result. He changed into casual clothes and waited for Mark to get out of the shower before they left, as they strode onto the countless lawns onward to the Pizza Parlor he and Felix went, he couldn't help but notice that through the cool autumn night that Mark was giving off a bit of heat Jack could feel from how apart they were.

-"So how did you find out about this?" Jack asked, breaking the silence.

-"Cynthia's roommate told her, so they're here and they invited us." Mark said. Jack shivered slightly from a sudden breeze and Mark wrapped an arm around his shoulders to provide warmth. "Cold?"

jack nodded his head. He pretended like he didn't feel the little squeeze Mark gave his arm as they relaxed and walked like that up to the hanging lights surrounding the outside of the building. Jack didn't realize but he was leaning into Mark as he wrapped his arm around him. And as they entered the building, both failed to mention how Mark's arm went lower and rested against Jack's waist as they spotted their friends at one table and sat down.

But enough about that.

It's Karaoke Night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, so this was really choppy and it may have been a little confusing how we went from Mark losing it to feelings to Cynthia then to Jack being snoopy af.
> 
> BUT THIS was merely a chapter to add plot, next chapter is when things get... out of hand. and interesting.  
> And maybe low-key hot and heavy BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT.
> 
> Next chapter, is Karaoke Night ;D


	10. Karaoke Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's karaoke night, and alcohol is running amongst the group of students,
> 
> the only thing to ruin it is an unknown person with surprising talents.
> 
> But what could possibly ruin this night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YASSSS OKAY. #SingOff
> 
> FINALLLLYYYY THIS CHAPTER HAS SOME SINGING!!! The song is Shawn Mendes' "Better Than He Can' 
> 
> If you want to skip the singing then be my guest.
> 
> Something i did was play the music as I read the part with the music and it made it kind of fun for me. You don't have to but it just makes this chapter more interesting...  
> so enjoy!!

-"I hate singing" Joey said, sitting between Cynthia and jack.

-"No... no you don't!" Hanna teased. Joey scoffed.

 -"The only thing worse than singing in general is singing while being drunk..." Mark said.

Everyone grew a smile on their face and glanced at one another.

-"What are the odds we have a drinking game?" Cynthia said with a smirk.

-"How so?" Mark replied, interested in the offer she had.

They didn't dress up too much. Actually, almost no other students dressed up too well for the night. A lot of people wore clothes as casual as it could be for a normal night out. Everyone mostly wore jeans, the only exception being Cynthia as she wore a summer skirt with an old High School T-shirt. Everyone either had a coat in their arms or chairs or they were wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Maybe even both.

-"Alrighty ladies and gentlemen! Who's ready for some Karaoke!!" a man, possibly the owner of the restaurant shouted. Everyone let out a small round of cheering. They all laughed a little at the sudden enthusiasm before he continued. "Now, if you are drunk, I suggest you bring someone up here to make sure you don't fall and most possibly get injured when you fall off the stage."

A round of laughter.

-"And please do not throw the microphone since it was more expensive than the tuition you bastards had to pay." He announced. Everyone chuckled at him as he smiled. "Now everybody have a great night."

More cheering sounded through the large crowd of people in the restaurant. Cynthia looked back at their table of friends and looked at each and every one of them with a smirk that contained plenty of mischievous ideas.

-"Okay, here's my rules; Every time someone messes up on the lyrics for a song, we all have to take a shot." She said, everyone's interest peaked at that. "But, that person singing cannot be within the confinements of this table." she added.

-"Well, let's go find a different table." Jack said earning a chuckle from Mark.

-"No, dumbass. That does not count. Anyway, after a round of five shots, whoever finishes their fifth shot the slowest has to go up and sing." She said, leaning back in her chair smugly. Everyone stared at her shocked before they all began thinking about her offer.

 _It can't be that bad... can it? No. Plus, there has to be at least a couple of people who know the entire lyrics to a song. Right?_ Jack thought to himself. He looked over at Cynthia and let out a small sigh of defeat.

-"I'm in." he said, leaning back in his chair.

 _Jesus... if Jack could do it, I sure as hell can. C'mon! This my time to impress him. I mean, it'll be hard as fuck to keep up with an Irishman's drinking but... I could last. Hopefully._ Mark thought. He glanced at Jack and then at his best friend who stared at him with a knowing eyebrow raised. He nodded his head.

-"I'm in too."

-"Same." Joey replied after giving it a lot of thought.

 _Bitches got nothing on me..._ Hanna eventually figured.

-"Why the hell not." Hanna replied as she smacked her hand on the table.

-"Sure." Felix added, shrugging as if he couldn't be bothered by the game even though he was deeply frightened.

-"Perfect!" Cynthia said as she leaned against her arms on the table. "By the way, Mark doesn't get the really heavy stuff because blah blah blah, he can die. etcetera." Cynthia notified everybody. They all looked at Mark with slightly offended expressions and he shrugged. "But don't worry, he's a lightweight anyway."

-"I am not.." he grumbled.

-"Okay, boo. Uh, excuse me!" Cynthia called out for a waiter walking by. "Can we have a bottle of vodka, a bottle of whiskey and lemon juice?" The waitress cocked an eyebrow at them. "Can I see some ID's?" she asked. Everyone fished for their wallets as Jack sat there in sudden fear. He quickly ducked under the table in search for nothing as they handed each other their ID's.

-"Okay, and what about the dude under the table?" The waitress asked. Jack cursed as he rose and looked at everyone staring at him expectantly.

-"C-can I go get it from my dorm quickly?" He said. Everyone nodded her heads and she shrugged.

-"It's okay, I'll let it slide simply since it's cold as balls out." she said before walking from their table. Mark looked at Jack confusedly.

-"You do know we came to the only restaurant near campus with alcohol, right?" Mark asked. Jack nodded his head.

-"I'm not twenty one yet..." he mumbled.

-"I was about to say that." Felix added.

-"What do you mean? When's your birthday?" Mark asked, looking at the Irishman confusedly.

-"February.." he mumbled, embarrassed as everyone stared at him with slight shock.

-"Bitch what?" Cynthia asked.

-"My birthday is right around the corner, so I was cleared off naturally." Felix said.

-"Your birthday is in two weeks..." Matthew said as he took the last open seat.

-"Welcome, do you want to join our drinking game?" Cynthia said. Matthew shrugged as Felix decided to explain.

-"If you're... a year younger then how come you're a Sophomore in Coll--"

-"I skipped a grade back in Ireland." Jack said, looking at Mark sadly. "So I just.. moved accordingly to how I was placed over there..."

-"So you're saying you're smarter than us?" Joey said.

-"What? No! Not at all, I didn't--"

-"I'm kidding.." Joey replied with a smile.

They left the topic at that as the waitress returned with the items requested and even with a few shot glasses, throwing Cynthia a wink that left Felix with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

The game had gone off to a... blissful start. A lot of people surprisingly sang songs they knew all the lyrics to so they only had taken one shot in the duration of three songs. Cynthia knew how to mix the perfect drink that wouldn't kill Mark with water, some alcohol and lots of lime that left an uneasy burn in his throat as much as it did for the rest. [A/N: I don't even know if this is possible and I highly suggest not doing it if you are affected by the same allergy that Mark IRL has] Jack was trying his best to cover the fact that he was the biggest lightweight Irishman probably in History. Everyone threw a few comments about his nationality and about the stereotype with alcohol and he would just laugh at it or nod along.

Finally, (and dreadfully) the moment they had been waiting for when some girl, probably drunker than they wanted to be, went on stage and sang badly and messed up multiple times. She messed up nearly twelve times which caused all of them to have to cough repeatedly after a while from the alcohol they had to endure.

-"Alright." Felix wheezed after he drank the glass of water from the pitcher they ordered. "Who's up?"

-"I feel like it may have been Jack. Maybe Mark." Joey said, looking not at all buzzed along with Hanna.

Jack, however, was swooning slightly and trying not to giggle. He had to keep his composure as he wasn't as drunk as he would be on a regular basis. He had the right mindset and ability to act as sober as possible but he was close to slipping up easily.

-"Let's just let them go together.." Matthew said, coughing again. Mark looked at Jack with a large dopey smile.

 _Fuck is he drunk already? He barely even has alcohol in his system!_ Jack thought to himself. Both men stood up and walked through the sea of people and tables before they reached the man with a clipboard up beside the wall, near the steps that led to the small stage.

-"Hey, boys. Care to sing?" He asked, smiling at them.

-"Sure." Jack said.

-"You betcha!" Mark said, enthusiastically drunk. He got the clipboard and wrote their names. He then dug around the large category of music and pointed at one. "This one. It looks pretty."

The man chuckled and went toward the music player that connected to the speakers wired on both corners of the stage.

-"Alrighty, knock yourselves out." he said as they began walking up the stage.

Blinding lights flooded their eyesight as they clambered up the four steps and looked at the immensely large crowd. Jack could see their table from where he was standing and heard them give a loud cheer of encouragement. Mark handed Jack a microphone with a smile and jack took it slowly. He looked down and saw that the reason why a lot of people hadn't messed up was due to mirrors angled perfectly to the words behind them. Jack let out a small sigh of relief.

-"Next singers are Mark and... Jock?"

-"jack.." Mark said with a large grin.

-"Right...  Mark and Jack singing **Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes** "

A round of applause and cheering sounded throughout the crowd, Mark smiling dumbly and waving his hand at everybody while Jack stood stoic.

Right now was a bad time to mention he was scared of speaking in public. Much less singing. A string instrument played, most likely a guitar, through the speakers in which everyone was more or less quiet, many tables carried conversations not bothering with many performances much like theirs. Jack looked over at Mark who was staring at the mirror that had the words slowly appearing.

Jack gulped and prayed it wasn't his turn to sing yet.

And then Mark's voice stunned him into farther silence as he began singing.

-" _I... won't lie... to you..._

_I know he's just... not right... for you..._

_And you can tell me if i'm off But I see it on your face, when you say that he's the one that you want..._

_And you're spending all your time In this wrong situation and anytime you want it to stop..."_

His voice as smooth as silk, deep as a bass. His rhythm with the beat matches beautifully almost like the actual singer. Jack fully recognizes the song now since he has it. But he stared at Mark with awe. Jack's eyes flickered down to see the mirror and saw that his part was a little ways into the chorus. And he was slightly panicking.

 _Just breathe, jackaboy. You've got this... Just sing along like you do when you're alone. C'mon. And--_ Jack was thinking to himself before he saw the bright blue letters starting to eat up the pink letters mark was singing along to. It was gathering pace and heading for the orange letters that represented Jack's lines.

-" _Tell me why are we wasting time_

_On all your wasted crying when you should be with me instead!"_

**_-"I know I can treat you better...._ **

**_Better than he can!"_** they sang.

Mark continued his next verse, voice low and careful. Jack noticed how he winked at him every now and then. There was a ring of applause as he sang. Jack was stoic and staring into his eyes that were heightened by the bright lights shining on them. The regular dark, brown have filtered into a bright hazel that made Jack buckle into.

-"jack.." Mark whispered away from the mic, snapping him out of his thoughts. Jack looked down at the mirror and noticed he was missing his lines.

-" oh uh... _I promise... that I won't.. let you down.._

_Just know you don't have to do... this alone..._

_Promise... I'll never... let you down..."_ jack sang, watching Mark's expression become slowly shocked. Jack looked at the crowd worriedly before he began continuing.

-" _Cause I knows I can treat you.. better.. than he can. Any guy like you deserves a... gentleman.."_ Jack momentarily freaked out since he messed up on the gender, but he didn't know why. He was stuck staring at Mark's eyes for a minute as he sang. " _Tell me why are wasting time. On all your wasted cryin' when you should be with me instead!_

_I know I can treat you.. better..._

_Better than he can!"_

Jack lost track of when people started clapping along with the music. Mark was slowly trying to catch up with Jack's singing as he got carried into the rhythm and sang with as much of his heart could give. He looked over at Mark who was looking at the ground with a blush creeping across his face.

When the song gave away, a series of applause that many other performers were given before he rushed off the stage in a hurry. He sprinted into the bathroom and threw open one of the stalls where he crashed down and hurled the vodka and whiskey mix into. He sputtered a few times before he rose from the porcelain bowl. He looked around him taking in notice of the stalls themselves. A strange soft brown that combined with the orange dim of the lights almost gracefully.  He grabbed some toilet paper from the roll and wiped at his mouth before he tossed it into the bile and flushed it down. He stood up slowly, careful not to make his stomach anymore weaker than it already was. He stumbled out of the half-ajar stall and wobbled weakly to the exit/entrance of the restroom. He opened it in simultaneous momentum as the other occupant of the handle tried pulling. jack stumbled forward and was caught by a surprisingly strong pair of arms that belonged to a fellow Swedish man he knew.

-"Woah, easy there, jackaboy.." Felix said as he caught him and made him stand upright.

-"Sorry... I got queasy.." he mumbled before letting out a small burp.

-"Classy. I'm going to avoid getting picked to sing next so have fun." Felix said before entering the bathroom quickly. Jack scrunched up his eyebrows. It was slightly strange how he was avoiding to be picked when he was texting him the other day non-stop about how he wanted to impress Cynthia with anything. And this was very clearly his chance.

Jack made it back to the table, past the maze of people and tables that swarmed the entire floor, and he sat down back where he was next to Joey and Mark. He saw them take down another shot when he sat down and saw Matthew cough with a pat to his chest.

-"Oh God, I cannot down another drink.." he groaned.

-"Yall, are just pussies." Joey said as he took the rest of Matthew's shot and downed it quickly. He sat back in his seat and looked at everyone with a bored expression adorning his face.

-"Oh please, I am the least drunk out of all of you." Hanna replied. She poured more whiskey into her shot glass and downed it rather quickly. She sat back, similar like Joey, and smirked at everyone. Everyone stared at her before her eyes widened. "Oh... I feel it.." she mumbled. Joey clapped his hands and flung them in the air in victory.

-"C-can we just go... to the room now?" Jack said before he had a hiccup. Mark nodded his head as it laid against the table.

-"I second that." he said, raising his arm above his slanted position weakly.

-"Same." Cynthia said as she giggled.

-"Boo, you pussies." Joey said before rolling his eyes and calling over their waitress. He got the tab and paid for it, warning Cynthia to pay him back later before they began leaving.

-"Have you seen F-f-Felisha?" Cynthia mumbled against Mark's shoulder.

-"Felix?" Mark replied.

-"haha... yeah.. him.." she said with a giggle. "He's cute..."

-"Can ye take her to her dorm, if ye know where it is?" Jack asked. Hanna nodded her head.

-"We're roommates anyway..." she said with a shrug as she soberly led the drunk strawberry haired girl away. The rest of the men made their way to the dormitories and said nothing on the way, an occasional hiccup or two from Jack.

-"Goodnight guys..." Joey said as he went to unlock his door right on the bottom floor. The other three said their goodbyes to the blue haired man before beginning their walk up the flight of stairs.

-"I'm hitting the hay too, night." Matthew said to them as he began unlocking his door. Jack mumbled a goodnight as they walked down a few doors to reach their room when they heard a loud thump. Mark sighed and figured he had to pick up Matthew since he probably collapsed at the front door.

-"I'll be right back.." Mark mumbled as Jack leaned against their door lazily.

-"Mark walked over and was correct when he saw his feet sticking outside of the doorway, his dark, blue neon lights providing very little light.

Mark lifted Matthew and threw him onto his presumable bed before he threw over a blanket and closed the door behind him. His eyes were slowly drooping when he noticed a very bright blue light ahead of him. The black-haired man raised his gaze to meet one of surprise.

A man in an almost blinding blue suit was currently dangling Jack from the balcony in front of the series of doors.

-"The hell--? Hey, put him down!" Mark exclaimed as he began walking faster, his attention becoming more focused.

-"I wouldn't try that if I were you, Wilford." The masked figure said. Their voice almost robotic. Mark froze and stared at them in horror. He looked down at himself and saw no signs of his powers being used. "Oh don't flatter yourself... even if you were lighting up, you couldn't stop me if I dropped your little friend here."

-"L-let him go.." Mark warned as he felt his hands heating up.

-"What are you going to do? Burn me?" They said. Mark felt himself getting angrier. "I can promise you, Mark Edward Fischbach, that if you try and pull one on me that I will gladly send Sean William McLoughlin here falling to his death to his the concrete floor. Then, I'll break your dearest friend Matthew's neck. Followed by pinning that sad little red-head Cynthia Abigail Rose onto her dormitory door. Then send the blonde one across campus to slam her head on one of the light posts. Should I even begin on what I would do to that joyful little Joey? I know you. I know all of you. I've studied every single one of you and I am bound to make you all suffer. So don't even try causing a domino affect simply because you were stupid enough to cross with _me_ " they said. Mark stood there, frozen with utter terror. His face probably showed it.

-"W-who are you?" he asked.

The person smiled and tilted their head to the side.

-"The question is... who are _you?_ " He replied. "Are you a villain? A hero? A friend? or... simply just a murderer?"

Mark's gaze met his momentarily.

-"I'm going to kick your ass is what I'm going to do." Mark dared. The figure chuckled.

-"Are you sure? Or will you burn me up the same way you did to innocent... what was his name? Matt Watson?" They taunted. Mark's eyes widened and his blood boiled in anger.

-"You little--" Mark began to threaten before the figure let their grip slide down Jack's ankle down to holding onto the tip of his shoe. This person must have surprising strength.

-"Uh uh uh... don't test me.." they warned.

-"Don't... you even dare... say his name." Mark warned, his fists beginning to heat up.

-"Matt. Watson." The figure taunted in their robotic voice. "Matt. Watson. Matt. Watson. Matt Watson. Matt Watson." they said, taunting Mark. Little did he realize, the person was simply distracting Mark to slow his reactions down. "Matt. Watson." they repeated before letting Jack go. Mark suddenly panicked and tried cooling his fists s fast as he could as he dived over the balcony. The figure grabbed his leg and stopped him from falling completely.

With horror, Mark watched as Jack was falling, not aware, and then...

Mark felt movement behind him and saw the blue figure being shoved away by Matthew Patrick himself. Mark was suddenly let go and he quickly turned as fast as he could to grab the concrete that sustained the second floor of the dorms. He hung uselessly there was he saw the blue figure throw Matthew easily over the railing and onto the grass in front of the dorms, barely missing the walkway. He tumbled limply before he slowly rose.

-"You're lucky, Warfstache." the person said before they spun in a circle and disappeared in a bright blue flash. Mark stared at where they just were.

-"What the hell.." Mark mumbled before he failed to realize his grip was slipping and he was suddenly in free-fall.

He expected to hit hard concrete but was suddenly enveloped in a green bubble that flew him to the grass where it popped softly and he fell with a soft thud next to Matthew.

-"What the--"

-"Shh!" someone hissed. Mark turned his head to see Jack rushing over and picking him up without effort.

-"Help me up the stairs and I'll explain everything." Jack hissed at Matthew.

And then Mark passed out from exhaustion and from the massive headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who IS this mysterious new man in blue?  
> We'll find out...  
> soon...


	11. KyMane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unlikely team try and uncover the identities of the three supernatural people that threaten the university campus, 
> 
> Mark and Jack set off a set of chain reactions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really excited for this chapter merely because it's got a lot of nerve-wracking moments
> 
> BY THE WAY, my updating schedule might be wobbly merely because I just started the school year again.
> 
> A lot of the stuff in here about the gemstones is true, but the way they pertain to the zodiac signs and the stars is BS, merely to add plot to their backstories. Aight? AIIIGGGHHHTTT  
> enjoy!
> 
> Check out a03-writer.tumblr.com for update info and for any requests / feedback

Joey slammed the pile of books onto the table, startling everyone's focus and turning their attention to him. He had a smirk on his face.

-"Guys, I think I just figured it out." he said as he flipped open one of the books to a page that was already marked with a tear from a sticky-note. "So this part in this section in this old ass book says that one of the most common natural producing sources of blue include gemstones. One of the most common is Sapphire--"

-"Okay, but we already clarified that Sapphire can't be his source since it wasn't a dark blue, it was a bright blue."  Matthew said in a low-voice, fit for the librarian.

-"Yeah, I get it. So the blue we're talking about is from another gemstone. Kyanite." He said, looking proud of himself as he sat down.

-"Woah... this gemstone is actually pretty badass." Cynthia mused as she looked at the book he brought.

-"Mhmm, and that's not all. You see, this blue just so happens to be _fi_ _re-resistant"_ Joey said, pointing to the section under the picture that said so. Everyone's eyebrows shot up in surprise and interest.

-"That's... strangely coincidental since one of the other people literally has fire pouring from his fingertips." Hanna added as she flipped through a book about human combustion.

-"The blue guy was also very strong, and it says here that Kyanite's are usually really strong." Matthew said after stealing the book from Joey.

-"Wow. that's... weird.." Cynthia said, scrunching her eyebrows together.

-"And, they're also relatively known for porcelain uses industrially and also for perfect cutting edge material, being and I quote: 'Strong enough to cut through dull materials and cool enough to go through the heated surfaces that are made through electricity.'" Joey said, looing at them expectantly.

-"So if we're assuming that this guy is going off of a gemstone that is bright blue, strong and can go through many sources of fire then we know how he's... well... made?" Cynthia asked.

-"I also found this." Joey announced as he threw another book in the middle of the table.

-"What is it?" Cynthia asked, looking at the book brought before them. She picked it up gingerly, the old book looking as if it would shatter into dust if she made the wrong move. It had a dull and faded dark brown cover, the edges worn and the spin frail and thin. The pages themselves looked like something out of a Medieval time period, starch and rough. Almost like sandpaper, but as smooth as the table before them.

-"It's a book about gemstones and their astronomical abilities." Joey said, raising a proud eyebrow.

-"Thanks, Nerd-A-Tron. Try speaking English next time." Hanna sneered as she was handed the book.

-"It's basically all about gemstones and how they are linked to astronomy and how they were put 'on this planet for good reason and judgement'." Joey recited.

-"Oh okay. So you're basically telling us this is the Bible except with science." Cynthia replied. Joey rolled his eyes and shook his head at them.

-"He's basically saying it could tell us how these three people... got their powers, so to speak." Matthew 'translated'. Everyone said a large 'Oh' at that and began crowding softly around the book to peer inside it's contents.

-"Okay well the first green one I can see is a Grossular Garnet" Cynthia said aloud to the group.

Everyone followed where her finely manicured index finger was pointing and Matthew slipped the book out of their gazes and began reading aloud:

-"Grossular Garnet, known for it's high bidding in jewelry sales and for it's unique color configuration throughout it's phases. The brightest of the garnet's shade is a Bright Green, the softest being a Milky White. This specific gemstone pertains to a group of Aquarius, although this is not proven scientifically, this gem is proven to behold those of Aquarius extra spared time that give them enough time to figure out those with troubled minds. An opportunity to share or borrow time is an equal to similar reaction to those that face this gemstone as it's arbitrary history can conclude it's breaking from deep within the layers of our Earth." Matthew red. Everyone looked at the table as he read, when he finished he shrugged and set down the book softly on the table. "Ehh. I don't know.." he said, scratching the back of his neck.

* * *

Jack was sitting on his fold-in metal chair, right beside Mark's bed and bouncing his leg from worry. He had his head atop his hands that folded into one another as he leaned them against the covers where he lay.

-"Just.... how?" Matthew asked for the fifth time that night.

-"I already told you," Jack said, sighing. "I was just born with it. I haven't been able to find a completely reasonable explanation for it."

The other brunette rose from Mark's swivel chair and threw his arms in the air along with his obvious frustration. The Irishman sat back in the chair he was in, disgruntled by the other man's curious tendencies. They had been sitting in the dorm room ever since they dragged Mark inside, passing out moments after Jack had reached him. The night was thankfully dark as they hauled his body up the flight of stairs and were able to do it without any suspicion. Matthew began firing questions of all sorts once the door closed behind them, giving Jack a slight hint for a headache.

'When did you know?', 'How is this possible?', 'For how long has it been going on?', 'can you control it?', 'are you Sam SepticEye?' were the type of questions he asked, causing Jack to respond as quickly as possible to try and get him to calm down. Jack was tired of Matthew's occasional repeated questions and it was reaching his last nerve. And Jack was a _very_ easily agitated person.

-"But you were saving the city for such a long ti--"

-"I get it!" Jack shouted, startling the other, "I am just some ordinary student learning about becoming a regular day-to-day photographer and I'm over here saving some random city in the middle of God-Knows-Where Wyoming!"

Jack was standing now, looking at him angrily. He felt his eyes glowing and he didn't care, his green hair was starting to wash over the brown and grow slightly. He was so caught up in his sudden outburst that he didn't notice the man behind him slowly awakening to find a green-haired man standing beside his bed with green-tainted fists.

-"Jack?" Mark called out, seeing a figure on the other side of the person beside him. He looked down at himself momentarily to notice his clothes had some holes in them. Then he was knocked out.

Jack punched him hard enough to keep him asleep. Matthew exclaimed his protests and ran toward and grabbed Jack's arm and hauled him back.

-"Fuck!" jack exclaimed after sending a bright, sluggish material to slam against the ceiling.

The material itself was nowhere near solid nor liquid. It wasn't even goo. It was almost like a hologram of bright green. The substance fell down slowly, almost like a bubble but slower. It was soft, almost like a cloud could be. Matthew curiously and absentmindedly reached out with his hand and let it slide through his hands, flowing through the spaces left in his hands like water. He looked at Jack with amazement and he looked down at the ground ashamed.

-"Sorry.." he mumbled as his normal appearance returned. Matthew stared at him with awe before letting out a surprised laugh.

-"That just happened.." He said, still shocked. Jack nodded his head with a small giggle.

* * *

-"But we should assume this... Grossular Garnet.. is his power source. Right?" Hanna spoke. Everyone nodded their heads except Matthew who just shrugged.

-"Perfect. Let's keep digging." Joey announced as he grabbed the book and flipped through it again.

Everyone crowded around him and looked through each page. They all were searching almost blindly for anything that could resemble a red stone, that gave them some information that could pertain to any form of fire. They came across many that could apply as safe to torches and regular fire from someone who treats gemstones at a jewelry shop and found plenty.

-"I feel like our best bet is going to be the Ruby." Matthew suddenly said. He looked up from the book he was engrossed in and tossed some of his notes onto the middle of the table, causing everyone to strain their necks to get a good look at. "It's good with fire, it's bright red and it's known as the 'King of Jewels'."

-"Okay, sure. Is that all we're going to base off this red guy about? A ruby?" Cynthia defended.

-"Well we did jump to conclusions on Sam Septiceye, didn't we?" Matthew replied. Cynthia narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him and he raised an intelligent and poignant eyebrow at her.

-"Book a room or stop eye fucking each other." Hanna said, breaking their stare.

-"Hey, sorry I'm late." Felix said, walking to their table suddenly.

He was late. Very late, in fact. The group of them had decided to gather to find information on the three mysterious figures that showed up late at night and sent Cynthia into crutches.

A near two weeks have passed since the incident that night, causing Matthew to send himself on a derailment of studying for school and research on Jack. He paid little to no attention to Felix as he seemed to wake up in slightly chipper moods ever since he and Cynthia went on an unknown date to the movies. Needless to say, he was probably happy with the results of the date. Matthew announced that Felix would be late since he was taking a nap, so it was a good excuse for him to be really late. The afternoon was slowly dawning over them as they all spent their only free day digging through books in the grand library provided by the university.

-"I feel like you showed up late on purpose." Cynthia said, giving him a bored look.

-"Well of course, who likes doing research?" He said with a grin, affecting everyone to roll their eyes at him. "So what's this about?"

-"Information on Sam SepticEye, Wilford Warfstache and some blue guy that basically attacked Jack, Mark and I." Matthew said, causing the sandy blonde to slightly slow down in his movements in sitting down.

-"Oh... you're still going on about this guy, huh?" Felix asked. Matthew very obviously had told him since he confided in Felix enough, being his roommate and all.

-"It's not his obsession. It's his newfound curiosity." Cynthia said with a shrug. "Plus, the things we've been digging have been very interesting so far."

-"Well where's Mark and Jack." Felix said, looking around for the other two.

-"Shit. That's who I forgot to bring." Cynthia said to herself. "I can call them right now."

-"Sure." Felix said with a shrug.

As she stood up from the table, she began walking out of the library to make her call when she ran into Cameron...again...

-"Cynthia--!" She exclaimed before a loud groan came from the mentioned woman.

-"Oh my god. Why are you still here?!" She said, well out of the library to raise her voice.

-"I'm just here to say--"

-"Say what? Hmm? What could you possibly want?" Cynthia snapped.

-"I did what I came here to do. All I need to know is where Mark is." Cameron replied, coolly and slightly edgy. Cynthia narrowed her eyes.

-"What for?" She asked, crossing her arms.

-"I need to set him straight... cause last time I think he didn't get the message clearly." Cameron replied, bitterly actually.

-"You've been talking to Mark?" Cynthia said, looking at her curiously.

-"you could.. say that.." Cameron said, looking at Cynthia up and down before flicking her gaze above her.

-"The hell does that mean?" Cynthia asked, taken aback by the response. Cynthia turned around to see what she was looking at.

Seeing nothing, she turned her gaze back to the other woman to find her gone. The red-head stepped in different directions to look for her, not seeing a trace of her.

-"You okay?" Felix asked, making her jump. She turned to see him raising a worried eyebrow at her.

-"Y-yeah. I just.. saw someone I used to know.." Cynthia said before Felix led her back inside the library, where everyone was going through books. She ignored how his hand was slowly wrapping itself around her waist and pressing her closer to the sandy blonde man.

-"Hey. You were gone for a while..." Matthew greeted. Cynthia scrunched her eyebrows.

-"I was only gone for... like... not even a minute..." She replied.

-"No.. you were gone for nearly an hour..." Joey said, looking at her expectantly. She looked at her phone and... indeed.

The clock was nearly an exact hour from before she was about to take the call. She looked at her phone with shock and raised her head to see everyone's worried and confused expressions.

-"Are you.. okay?" Matthew asked. Cynthia nodded her head and sat down in her chair, confused by the sudden event.

-"Did you sleep well last night?" Felix asked, his hand atop hers in sympathy. She was going to say yes before she actually had to think about it.

 _Did_ she even sleep the previous night?

-"Uh... I.. I think so.." Cynthia said, looking at the table with confusion.

-"Maybe it's exams or something. Or maybe working at the parlor's getting stressful." Felix said, satisfied with his conclusion.

-"Felix... Exams aren't for another month or two." She said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

The Swede looked at her with surprise and just shrugged. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at everyone else who all stared at her like scientists inspecting a new element discovered.

-"I'm fine, alright? I swear... I think I just lost. track of time.." Cynthia said, shrugging and grabbing a book from the small pile they had. She began skimming the pages when she noticed that she couldn't read the letters.

_**Don'tScreamDon'tScreamDon'tScreamDon'tScream** _

_**Don'tScreamDon'tScreamDon'tScreamDon'tScream** _

_**Don'tScreamDon'tScreamDon'tScreamDon'tScream** _

-"Cynthia!" Hanna exclaimed beside her and shoving her arm from where it was pillaring the rest of her body as it leaned against the table. Cynthia dropped the book and looked at everyone with surprise.

-"What?" She asked.

-"We asked... what do you think about the gem conspiracy we had in mind and you've been sitting there mumbling for three minutes.." Matthew said, looking at her with disbelief. Cynthia looked at the other four watching her across the table and she cleared her throat nervously.

-"Uh.. I think we should go off of it." She said.

Everybody eyed her curiously as they returned to looking through notes and books as she sat there. She picked the book up gingerly and inspected it, seeing that it was back to it's normal wording.

-"Cynthia... what the hell were you mumbling so quickly?" Felix asked, concerned over her well-being.

 _The Crystal Blue Moon_ a soft voice said in her head. Cynthia's eyes widened.

-"You said something about a moon in Swedish or something? I heard the word 'Moon' but in Swedish?" Felix continued. Cynthia looked at him with fear in her eyes. What was wrong with her?

-" _Ky-Mane"_ she said. But it wasn't as if she said it, it was as if a ghost had whispered it through her mouth. A loud crack bellowed outside and she glanced at the entrance of the library, seeing the librarian and another assistant slowly closing the doors, but getting a of Cameron staring right at her, eyes narrowed and smile perked into a smirk before she was shut out of view.

* * *

 -"Are ye serious?" Jack asked, feeling Mark's breath right against his stomach.

-"Yes.." he replied, almost breathless.

-"Mark.. I'm really close tah--"

-"Don't. Do it. Wait for me tell you when." Mark gritted through his teeth.

The larger man shifted his current position, causing Jack to gasp slightly.

-"Mark--!" Jack almost gasped before Mark gave him a glare and he shut up. Jack tried not to squirm, not wanting to make him any more angry than he is.

-"Are you going to follow my directions?" Mark asked.

-"Yes! Oh god, yes! Please now just let me--!"

-"Jack..." Mark warned. Jack looked back down at Mark who raised an eyebrow.

-"Fine!" Jack said, relentless over Mark's demands.

-"Okay. Good. Now slowly take off your underwear." Mark said. Jack looked back up at the ceiling and let out a sigh before he reached down and slowly tugged down his underwear, enough for Mark to reach underneath. "Thank you."

Mark slowly reached between the hole in the Irishman's jeans and looked around for the small creature nestling onto his hip. He slowly felt something soft and slightly rough and began to pinch his fingers on it before he heard a yelp from the man standing on the ladder. Mark apologized rapidly and tried not to feel around his pubes again. His hand tried gliding around and miss his crotch (even though he did feel it on accident) and finally found the hamster that was currently clutching dearly onto his tender skin.

-"Did you find it?" He asked. Mark nodded his head and took a firm grasp around the hamster and pulled him off from Jack's hip, causing him to yelp in pain. Mark pulled his hand back down and ignored the half-hard member that brushed against his hand slightly and protruded the fluffy animal. "Oh thank god" Jack gasped.

-"You're welcome" Mark said as he climbed off the ladder, letting Jack let out a sigh of relief and he jumped down swiftly and landing, leaning against it. "Do you need a cream or something?"

-"I can get it, just give our neighbors their hamster." Jack said as he walked over to their bathroom with slight pain. Mark nodded his head and left their dorm room temporarily.

Jack walked into the bathroom and dug around their cabinets before he found the cream and a Band-Aid. He tugged down his jeans fully and looked at the nasty little holes that bled slightly on the side of his hip. He winced as he spread the antiseptic cream across the wound.

Jack had basically walked into the room to hear loud rattling in the vent right beside their door and he had to take Felix's spare key to grab his ladder from the dorm that he randomly kept, came back and tried to inspect what it was to find a hamster charge at him and jump down his shirt and somehow make it's getaway down toward his pants and got stuck in his jeans. Then it just hung on tight and having Mark walk in to a very awkward situation. In which he volunteered to help, cut open his favorite jeans and the rest is history.

Jack placed a decent sized bandage atop the wound and shook off his jeans and tugged back on his underwear to wander toward the room and look for a clean pair of pajama pants to look for. As he put them on, he failed to hear the door to their dorm suddenly open and he tugged them on wildly and jumped to slip them on. He was slowly losing his balance and was about to fall backwards when a pair of strong arms caught him. Jack was suddenly really closer to Mark, their noses only inches apart.

-"Be careful.." he warned with a chuckle. Jack nodded his head in a daze as he stared at him, his warm brown eyes trapping him in the moment. They were like that for a while before Mark helped him stand up and they still stood in each other's space. Mark stared at Jack with... care.. and.. love?

Their faces suddenly grew very closer up to the point where their noses were actually touching and Jack legitimately closed the gap and they shared a kiss. The taste of his lips was still the same and made Jack grow needy for. Mark apparently felt the same as he made a noise in his throat before leading Jack back up against the small dent in the wall for the window and let Jack back into it. As they kissed more smoothly, Jack slid his hands underneath Mark's shirt and let his fingers skid across his.. rock hard abs... and they found small strands of tender flesh.

Scars.

-"mm-- Jack." Mark said, slowly backing away and hugging stomach self consciously.

-"No.. Mark--"

-"I can't. I can't hurt you.." Mark whispered.

-"How would ye hurt me?" Jack defended, sick of this argument. Suddenly, Mark was back in Jack's space and their faces were dangerously close.

-"I could throw you against this window until you fly out. I could slam you against all these walls and paralyze you. I could snap your neck in only seconds. I can light you on--" Mark began to ramble, his voice sharp and clipped, angry and sadistic. He stopped himself when he felt Jack's hand on his chest.

-"Then don't. Just don't even think about hurting me..." Jack whispered. Mark gulped, looking at Jack with a confused expression.

-"Why do I interest you.." Mark asked, looking at Jack with fascination and... love...

-"Because there are things in this world that we don't know about others... wild things.." Jack rephrased Matthew's words.

Mark looked at Jack softly before they kissed again, Mark anchoring himself into the kiss and never wanting to break apart. They moved from the windowsill to one of their beds where Jack's shirt was slowly stripped off. Mark looked down at his pale body slid his hand all the way down to his slightly visible abs on his stomach and it rest right on his happy trail.

-"Can I..?" Jack asked, holding the hem of Mark's shirt. He nodded his head and raised his arms as the cloth that protected his body was taken away. The scars that littered his body made him look even more beautiful in Jack's eyes. 

Mark was slowly wrapping his arms around his body when Jack placed a hand on his stomach, stopping him from doing so. He shook his head and Mark felt a tear slowly forming and he fell over Jack, hugging him against the bed. Jack wrapped his arms around him and kissed his cheek softly. Jack felt a small wetness against the crook in his neck and realized it was Mark's tears. Jack patted his back and closed his eyes as he felt his skin heating and let him cry it out.

He mumbled something in the crook of Jack's neck that he couldn't exactly catch.

-"What was that?" Jack asked, shifting his head slightly to hear his muffled response.

-"Thank you..." Mark said, picking up his head. Jack watched as he ducked his head back down.

-"It's no problem..." Jack whispered as he patted his head.

Laying there, Jack realized they were both naked but he couldn't care less since he was too busy comforting him.

-"I'm glad I have you, jack.." Mark whispered. Jack kept rubbing his back while he lay atop him causing Jack to suddenly stop at the words. He felt himself try to restrain the tears that were threatening to form in his eyes.

-"I'm glad you have me too..." Jack replied as his shoulder slowly dried.

Mark shifted their position and was left with Jack being the big spoon, holding him dearly, afraid that if he let him go then he would lose him, and he didn't want to lose Mark. He keeps getting annoyed by Mark saying he would hurt Jack... but in reality, it was quite the opposite. The Irishman realized it was the American who was afraid to be broken if he got attached. And no matter how much it would hurt Jack seeing Mark possibly lose himself, it would hurt more for the other man as he broke once more.

Farther than how broken he already seemed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaaaatt? No plot twist or cliffhanger?  
> Now what drastically drama filled chapter would I be planning? Muahahaha
> 
> Update: OH MY GAWD. I AM SO SORRY ABOUT BEING THREE UPDATES LATE. I HAD SCHOOL AND CROSS COUNTRY AND IDFK WHAT CAME OVER ME. I LUV YU GUYS I SWEEAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!
> 
> Unfortunately, I have to change my update schedule to At least once a week! If you guys are lucky, maybe twice. But for now my schedule has changed to a chapter per week. Sorry :(  
> BUT HEYYY, The Zombie Apocalypse AU is in the works rn and I will post the first chapter around the beginning of September merely so I don't stress myself out too much as I start the school year. So yeah.
> 
> I HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER. AGAIN, SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE


	12. Campus House | Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a competitive ambiance fills the autumn air, Mark and Jack start finding out about one another's wild side's,
> 
> Hanna, Cynthia and Matthew start becoming drastic to find information,
> 
> the nigh unfolds into many shocking secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really fun to write, it has a lot of plot for the very near future!
> 
> Also, there is mentions of drug abuse and hallucinogens but it's only mentioned, just as a warning to ya folks.
> 
> ALSO, check out my new Tumblr page for updates and shiz about my fics! It's a03-writer.tumblr.com SOO YEAHHH CHECK IT OUT AND FOLLOW ME BC I HAVE NO LIFE LMAO. I cri.
> 
> Update: I AM SOOOOO FUCKING LATE. LMAOOO I LOVE YOU GUYS I SWEAR.

The autumn air was slowly shifting into the winter bite that came across the northern hemisphere this time of the year. The cold was slowly drawing in like a sheet being slipped onto an empty mattress, that empty mattress being the bright colored trees that littered the university's campus. Everyone that hadn't already busted out their sweaters and thick jackets were about to, as the weather forecast from the school newsletter was advising everyone that there was a high probability of snow coming up later in the week. Jack absolutely adored the snow in Ireland, he had ignored it the last year, seeing as it landed the same time of exams. But now, it seemed like it would be an adequate time to drop at least and inch or two of snow.

Jack would daydream constantly about the weather and landscape back in the Motherland than here in the US, merely because he lived in the middle of nowhere with his family so it made it seem like a scene from one of the animated Christmas movies his mother would play in the background as she prepared the great Mcloughlin Christmas Feast.

He shrugged his jacket on further as he walked across campus to meet Mark at the edge of the university, right beside the thick forest. The leaves were falling off and the branches were becoming bare skeletons of the poor vertical logs. But there was a surprising amount of evergreen that made it keep it's unique forest scenery. As he made his way across the university, he took notice that many people stringing up banners on the sorority and fraternity houses that resided on campus, there were only four (two for each) but they surprisingly held a lot of people. Last year they had an average of sixteen people per house. This year's average was twenty.

-"H-ey Jackabboy!" one of his classmates called out as he jogged toward the Irishman. He was wearing a tank top underneath a surprisingly thin zip-up sweater which adorned his collar bones surprisingly well. He was tan, not as tan as Mark though, and was indeed fit. He could have passed as a stereotypical frat boy if it weren't for his dorky personality and obsession with the cast of Teen Wolf. Oh, and he was the head of the LGBTQ+ Club at the university.

-"Hey, Blake" Jack greeted. His blonde hair was perked up at the front and smoothly swept to one side, almost like a diagonal masterpiece. He was wearing glasses today, adorable nerdy ones that made him look more like a teenager than a college student. He walked up to him and brought him into a brief hug before eyeing him with an amused expression.

-"Either you get attractive every time I see you or you just look stunning in a brown coat." He greeted, voice smooth like caramel. So was his pick-up line.

-"hardy har, yer a tease." Jack replied, giving him a weak shove. The other man laughed, his canine teeth visible and making him look twice as adorable than before.

-"Don't play, you love me..." He said, leaning against Jack playfully.

-"Yeah yeah. Fok off, I gotta meet somebody." Jack said, chuckling. Gladly annoyed by his friend's actions.

-"Oh... who are you meeting?" He asked, bouncing a suggestive eyebrow.

-"My roommate." Jack replied, trying to hide his blush.

-"Felix?" Blake asked.

-"Nah, a cuter one."

-"Aww, Jackaboy's got a cru-ush!" he sand, playfully.

-"Stop it." Jack demanded as the blush conquered more of his skin above the neck.

-"Is he at least good in bed?" Blake teased, raising an eyebrow and perking his lips into a smirk.

-"Fok off." Jack scolded with a playful shove again. The other man chuckled and glanced back at a group of people who were calling his name.

-"Well, nice catching up with you. You should come to the games tonight! You can bring your little friend too." Blake said before winking and running off. Jack was left there without the chance to answer and closed his mouth, shaking his head in mock-disappointment knowing damn well of his friend's antics.

As he continued walking, he finally reached an area that came upon a small hill that gave an excellent view to the wilderness that resided across the boundaries of the campus, giving Jack even more nostalgia than before.

-"Hey!" Mark greeted from a small bridge that was arched enough for plenty of people to fit underneath it where he stood. Jack walked over with slight anxiety trailing behind him.

-"Hi.." Jack said, slightly awkwardly. The larger of the two brought him into a hug and spun Jack around slightly, causing him to giggle. "The hell is this about?" Jack asked when he was put down, watching the other's smile grow happily.

-" Today is the competition day! Aren't you excited?" Mark asked, looking at him with amusement and overall joy in his eyes.

-"I mean sure, but it's not that entertaining..." Jack said with a shrug, causing the other man to scoff and hold his chest in hurt.

-"How could you. This is more than just a competition..." he mock-hurt man said as he acted dramatic from the statement.

-"Right...." Jack replied, rolling his eyes slightly.

-"Oh yeah, what's your type of fun then, big guy?" Mark teased. Jack chuckled at that, air crisp and making an icy cloud from the sudden release of air. 

-"Eating." He commented. Mark laughed as they bickered on about his favorite food. 

As they walked into the small restaurant, the first sea of chatter between people filled their eardrums, ricocheting off of the wooden walls and stylish cabin-like furniture. Everyone was already drinking coffees, chatting among their classes and eating large or thin breakfasts. A glass case revealing many delicious pastries was highlighted by the LED lights that shone down upon each one on each row making them nearly irresistible.

-"Like watcha seein', boys?" an elderly woman asked as she filled a mug with coffee from behind the counter. She placed the filled mug on a carrying tray along with pastries and teas before she carted off with them with ease.

Jack's mouth was watering at the sight of the breaded sweets.

-"Don't they look heavenly.." Jack breathed as he stared at them with love.

-"Very much so, yes." Mark repeated, in a trance as he stared.

Jack placed his hand atop the glass case and stared in adoration, the other man's hand being placed atop his. They stood like that for a good second or three before the woman cleared her throat, startling them to retract their hands back to the sides of their bodies.

-"Ready when you are, boys." She said, raising her eyebrows with a knowing smile. Mark let out a deep, baritone chuckle that caused the Irishman's heart to flutter. "Right this way." she said, grabbing two menus and leading them with a finger.

As they made their way through the ocean of tables and people, the waves of conversation washed into their ears again as they traveled through the colorful maze of people's beanies, hats and natural hair colors. They had taken quick pace to follow the elderly woman as she swayed between chairs and waiters with ease before she stopped beside a booth where she placed both menus down and dropped two straws down. The photography majors took their seats and settled on opposite ends of the table where they both flipped the menu and immediately turned their direction to the drinks.

-"What wouldja like to drink?" She asked, pen and paper in her hand at the ready. 

-"Uhh... water's fine." Mark announced with a smile. Jack ordered a coffee. Two scribbles down and she was off like a ballistic from a cannon.

There was a silence between the both of them for a minute as they skimmed through the menu, looking for something good to eat. There were so many options and they all sounded so appetizing. Scrambled eggs, oatmeal, omelette, salmon and bagels, plain bagels with cream cheese, muffins, Danish pastries, and much more. Jack was struggling deciding what he'd want to eat. Meanwhile, Mark shrugged off his coat revealing a shirt that seemed to fit him really well, making the fabric ripple with each movement he made as he settled nicely in his booth. Jack tried not to stare. Tried.

-"So what do you want?" Mark asked, causing the other to raise his gaze fully on him. Mark's glasses were adorably almost hanging off his nose as he stared back at him, his short jet black hair made him look innocent and young.

-"Uh... I'm not sure. It all looks really good." Jack replied with a soft huff. Mark hummed along.

-"Yeah, can't disagree with you on that." Mark said. Jack raised his eyebrow and looked at him with dare.

-"Oh yeah, and what  _can_ you disagree with me on?" Jack tested seeing the other shrug with a trickster's smile.

-"Well... for one. I personally believe that Five Nights is better than Slender." Mark taunted. Jack let out a curt laugh before the woman was back, carefully ending the monsoon of an argument that would have come from that statement.

-"Alrighty boys, here's a water for you and coffee for you. Cream and sugar are on the far end of the table. Now, do yall know what you'd like to order?" 

-"Uhh, yeah. I'll take the bagels with cream cheese." Mark announced. A scribble in her notepad.

-"And I'll take the muffin with two slices of bacon of the side, please." Jack added. Another scribble. And she was off.

They sat again for more awkward silence. Occasional chatter from nearby tables flowing into their ears momentarily before they switched their glance and their hearing to anything else before it just melted in altogether.

-"It's a bit loud in here don't you think?" Mark said, even though he was using a normal tone of voice over the echoing of everyone else in the restaurant.

-"Yeah. It is.." Jack replied with a shrug.

-"You don't find it... annoying?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

-"Do you?"

-"Yeah, but only slightly. Mostly because my classmates in High School were annoying as all hell." Mark snickered, watching the other man laugh.

-"Oh yeah? Pfft, I grew up with a family of seven." Jack chuckled. Mark gave out a small chuckle and a thought came to his mind.

He imagined Jack playing with his nephews and nieces in some yard, cobblestone decorating the pathway from the gate to the door and his family probably inside chatting or something, just one big happy Irish family. His fluttered slightly at the thought of meeting them.

-"ha... yeah I only grew up with one sibling and mom and dad." Mark said simply, giving him a small shrug in return. 

-"Lucky." Jack sneered. The darker haired of the two stuck his tongue out.

They were sitting like that, staring at one another's eyes for a sliver of conversation to start or a deep interest they could decipher, just by looking at one another's eyes. Their stare grew daring as they both squinted at one another Green eyes facing Hazel, Hazel facing Green. The staring contest lasted as they searched one another's eyes.

-"You gonna give up?" Mark teased.

-"Nah, I was hoping you would." Jack replied with a smirk. Mark liked his smirk. "After all," he continued, "ye are one ta lose concentration easily." 

Mark jumped slightly at the feeling of Jack's foot against his thigh.

-"Childish, are we?" Mark replied as he grabbed Jack's ankle and slid it closer to the inside of his thighs. Jack gasped, but contained eye contact.

-"Now is not tha time." He warned slightly. Mark was getting it near his destination when they saw their server come over Jack retracted his leg, finally breaking eye contact.

-"Bagels and cheese," she announced as she placed the plate on Mark's side, "and a muffin with two slices of bacon."

-"Thank you." the brunette said, giving her a smile.

-"You're very welcome, boys. Now eat up and get out," she said with a smile, "I have people to seat." She added with a wink before she left.

-"Was she flirting with me?" Jack asked curiously. Mark barked out a laugh that made his heart melt.

-"No, southern folk are just really polite like that." Mark replied as his giggles subsided.

-Oh.." was the only thing Jack replied with.

They dug into their breakfast with a normal pace and continued their talk about their classes. As they ate, the wind outside got colder and small showers of snow fell every now and then, but now enough to call it snowfall. They were getting warm inside the restaurant enough to take off their jackets and for Jack to take off his beanie. They ate and joked, letting some time pass by before they eventually rose and offered a generous tip to the elderly woman who gave them thanks and to return again soon.

-"It's a little cold out, don't you think?" Jack asked as he put on his beanie once they stepped out and started walking back to their dorm.

-"I think that the weather's just fine." Mark replied, shrugging.  _It's better than fire_

* * *

 

-"Excuse me but what do you think we've been trying to do?" Cynthia replied, narrowing her eyes at Felix who backed away.

-"Sorry, sorry. I was just wondering.." he replied lowly as he turned around and shouldered his bag and continued walking to his next class. Cynthia rolled her eyes and continued her original direction to her dorm where she was meeting Hanna after her Filters class. Walking across campus was a deep struggle that she dearly hated. It was mostly the fact that she hated cold weather. She loved snow and the glow it gave off at night and during the day. She loved skiing and hot chocolate and stormy weather. But she... deeply... hated... cold... weather.

The idea of being cold made her shiver at the immediate thought of it. She couldn't shake off the feeling anymore.

Speaking of snow, it actually began to snow a little as she walked across lawns and concrete paths as she finally made her way to the stairs that led up to the many floors of of dorms. She finally reached hers, getting her key and unlocking it with speed as she closed the door behind her and let out a small sigh as she relished in the warmth of her dorm room momentarily before she heard someone whisper: "Is she having a moment?"

-"I did. Now it's ruined." Cynthia replied as she opened her eyes and looked at the other two people in her dorm.

-"sorry.." Matt said silently, tucking his head farther into his jacket. She rolled her eyes again.

-"How was class?" Hanna asked, looking at her with her usual carefree expression. Cynthia's eyes brightened.

-"It was good, actually. We got to mix music and try out our teacher's own set." she said, happily. She loved talking about music.

It was her passion.

-"Great. now that a regular introduction is out of the way, I need you to tell us how good you are at pick-locking." Matthew said, startling the red-head in her steps.

-"Hoe, what?"

-"We've decided that the only way to find out who's the blue guy is to literally break into as many rooms as possible and try and find some form of evidence that they're in a dorm here." Hanna elaborated, looking at her roommate with hope.

The other girl in question was staring at them with a mix of surprise, confusion and bewilderment. She blinked slowly as she comprehended what they just said and she continued to taking off her extra layers of clothing.

-"Or... we can just ignore this entire fiasco and try and find one that doesn't involved almost getting expelled or killed." Cynthia replied eventually.

-"We thought about that but it's just much easier and it seems like a fun idea..." Hanna said.

-"I never said it'd be fun. We technically are breaking and entering into some of the dorms. Without permission, might I add, which is against the policy of living in the dorms." Matthew stated, looking at them with warning.

-"You actually read that thing? Jesus, all I did was sign where I need to and left it on my desk until I had to mail it back to the university." Cynthia muttered.

-"Okay, well -still- we need to be extremely careful and need to be sure you can try and pick-lock a door every ten to twenty seconds." Matthew said.

-"I can pick-lock doors, but under that time limit seems impossible for my amount of skills." Cynthia said, looking at them cautiously.

-"Cyn, we need to do at least four hallways today. Two boys, two girls."

-"Jesus Christ! The competition thing is tonight and I wanted to g--"

-"Cancel. This is much more important and you know it." Matthew interrupted, raising his eyebrows at her as a knowing expression. She looked at him desperately before giving up with a sigh and letting out a disgruntled noise in her throat.

They leaned in closer to see if their suspicions were correct.

-"Fiiiiinneeee" she groaned out as they high-fived each other.

-"Perfect. So you're in?" Matthew asked, looking at her with some hope. She rolled her eyes at him before she trudged into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. 

-"I think that's a yes..." Hanna replied.

* * *

 

Felix felt his phone buzz in his pocket as he left his last class of the day. He quickly pulled it out and opened it with a simple greeting.

-"We need to talk." the caller said simply.

-"... is this--"

-"yes, idiot. Now we need to talk right now or else we're about to get royally screwed tonight. And not by women." they replied. Felix scrunched his eyebrows in wonder.

-"What's wrong?"

-"Everything. Everything is falling apart. They're meeting in secret, the other two are getting too close and I have a feeling that you didn't do your fucking homework, did you Felix?"

He mentally facepalmed at the sudden realization that he had forgotten to do his daily search through Mark and Jack's room.

-"I... i didn't--"

-"No. You fucking didn't. And now one slip-up like that has led to the shit storm that is going to be tonight. Looks like we're working double tonight." They snapped. Felix didn't know why exactly he was flinching if they weren't even raising their voice but he was equally scared.

-"fine, fine. What should I do in the meantime?" Felix asked as he continued walking, phone on his ear as he tried not to seem too suspicious.

-"Her due date has come two weeks early." 

-"No.." Felix said, suddenly frightened by the next words.

-"Yes. You have to kidnap her, shoot her in the leg if you have to. But she needs to be taken care of right now." 

Felix ran a hand down his face in sudden stress and thought.

-"D-does it have to be now--?"

-"Yes! Now you better deal with it before tonight or else you're seriously screwed."

-"Me?! What about you?"

-"Nobody knows who I am. Nobody would even think about tying me to you in any way, I have multiple alibis and witnesses that will keep me safe and keep you in jail if it resorts to it."

Felix was getting agitated and he quickly held his tongue.

-"You have before the event tonight or else you'll be the one locked behind bars."

They hung up on Felix. He took in a deep breath before he calmed himself and mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do next.

And it wasn't going to be pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was merely the emergency news broadcast for the next chapter. Muahahaha.


	13. Campus House | Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a competitive ambiance fills the autumn air, Mark and Jack start finding out about one another's wild side's,
> 
> Hanna, Cynthia and Matthew start becoming drastic to find information,
> 
> the night unfolds into many shocking secrets being revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you miss me? ;D
> 
> LOTS OF STUFFY STUFFING IN THIS CHAptEr
> 
> enJOy mAHoYY  
> AiGHt FAMDnrgzdffdhng
> 
> I'm tired. give me a break.

-"You're such a coward." Cynthia hissed, looking at the dark side of the room with anger.

The other person in the room gave a dark chuckle. 

-"Oh please..." he replied with a deadly flirt, "I'm not the coward. You are..."

-"Well then show me your face, fucker.." Cynthia snapped back as she reached for the board with the nail behind her slowly.

He let out another dark chuckle and revealed themselves into the light that poured into the basement.

Cynthia gasped and stared at him. She couldn't believe it. 

He raised the gun in a flash and gave her a smile. 

-"Who's the coward now?"

* * *

 

_**Five Hours Ago...** _

-"Okay... we're going to go over this one more time for my sake." Matthew said, Cynthia rolled her eyes like a teenager.

-"Okay fine. We're going to go with the rest of the crowd and take selfies and shit so that we technically have an alibi and then we come back to the girls' dorms, pick-locks, break shit and then after we do that twelve times, then we'll go to the fuckboys' dorms and break shit there." She replied cheekily, giving him a sarcastic smile.

-"You get the idea." He said after a moment of confusion. She sighed and quickly put on her black leather jacket.

-"Everybody ready?" Hanna asked, looking at them all expectantly.

-"Yeah, we're good." Cynthia mumbled as she stuffed her keys in her back pocket, her phone in the front pocket, her hand-made pick-pocket device and fixed the beanie on her head as she left the dorm with the other two. They followed a group of people that were leaving the same time and they carefully followed without seeming creepy.

 -How soon till we leave?" Cynthia whispered, looking at the other two with a quick glance. They looked at each other with question in their minds and they just shrugged at her, causing her to groan slightly. The was only a minute or so long, it felt to her like it was hours.

Finally, they had reached the main lawn which had all four frat/sorority houses circling around them dangerously like a council of leaders deciding their fate. It was only an hour early until the competitions even began and it was already packed. People were milling to and fro with regular concession foods and Cynthia was instantly intrigued.

-"Where's the food though?" She asked, looking at a few on-goers with hot dogs in their hands. 

-"That's not the point of why we're here." Matthew told her, looking at her with an annoyed expression. She shrugged and continued looking over the heads of people for the source of food. She saw what appeared to be a line of college students waiting for a small food truck that had people walking away from it carrying food. She started making her way toward it in a trance when Hanna grabbed her arm and pulled her to follow them. She groaned and complied with the other's sudden force. 

-"Remember, we're here to find a crowded place or attraction that would make some great Instagram pictures." Hanna scolded, causing the rebel of the two to roll her eyes.

-"That fountain seems like a typical place to take photos." Matthew pointed out, pointing to the large basin of ceramic artwork with water flowing from the top to the bottom where it was layered with pennies and change that no one bothered to save in a piggy bank.

-"Nice catch." the blonde replied. Cynthia groaned as she grew farther away than the destined food truck she wished she could stand in line for instead.

-"Just sit still, look pretty, smile and pretend like you're having fun." the tall man reprimanded.

-"I'd rather be having fun in a fake selfie with a hot dog and an Icee." Cynthia replied cheekily.

-"Just smile, Cyn." Hanna scolded. She pulled out her phone to Snapchat, gave a smile and angled it properly to include the other two as tey also smiled. It looked real. She posted that followed by taking Matthew's phone and angling that as well, she turned on the flash and made a peace sign, Matthew putting bunny ears on Hanna and Cynthia staring at the camera with an uncomfortable glare that would make one feel uneasy after laughing at it.

-"Damn, this is actually kinda fun." Hanna mumbled as she took Cynthia's device and repeated another photo for her own social media account.

"Perfect, now we need at least one or two more for each of us so that it's legit." Cynthia added, "for example, the food truck." She said, raising her eyebrows in hope. They glared at her before complying and she let out a whoop in victory.

* * *

 

-"You're literally taking forever to get ready." Mark groaned from his bed where he nonchalantly scrolled through some of his social media accounts. He saw a picture suddenly uploaded on Cynthia's Tumblr of her with Hanna and Matthew. He found it odd that the three of them ere suddenly getting closer, but he was happy she was happy. 

-"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Jack replied back.

-"If you don't hurry up I'll make sure you won't cum!" Mark exclaimed with a smirk on his face. He hears something clatter from inside the bathroom and he laughed at the idea of Jack getting flustered.

The bathroom door finally opened and Mark let out a sigh of relief as he stood from his bed and quickly shrugged on a jacket that hung from his desk chair.

-"Alright, it's about damn time--" Mark began to say when he turned around and saw Jack in skinny jeans, a plain green shirt and wearing a light blue jacket. The boy had  _curves._

-"Is this not warm enough for the temperature tonight? I heard it was gunna be cold." Jack said.

-"God I just want to kiss you..." Mark whispered without a filter to stop him. Jack blushed at the comment.

-"What's stopping ye?" He dared. Mark closed the small space between them and closed his lips around Jack's, catching the other by surprise. Jack leaned into the kiss before they broke part, much to his distaste.

They stared at one another in surprise before Mark giggled.

-"That was fun.." he said, looking at Jack with a small smile. Jack returned it before he pecked him on the side and turned to grab his phone off his bed.

-"Let's get going?" He asked, holding open the door with courtesy.

-"Please." Mark replied as he went through, followed by Jack who locked the door behind him.

They started making their way down the stairs that led to their floor and then started following the loud blaring music that came from a distant place on the campus. Jack was excited to see Blake and see what crazy stunts would take place this year. He remembers how Blake had chosen Felix as a volunteer from the crowd and asked Felix to politely shove a knife into his shoulder since that was the wager between him and a fellow frat member if he lost a Geography Trivia Question.

These things were intense some times.

-"Watcha thinking about there, buddy?" Mark asked, looking at Jack with a raised eyebrow.

-"how lat year Blake had gotten Felix to stab him in the shoulder." the Irishman replied. Mark looked at him quizzically before Jack continued with, "it was from last year's competitions and Blake was like an expert at Geographical things, so he waged that if he got the question wrong, he could get stabbed in the shoulder by a volunteer in the crowd. He just happened to forget where Mesopotamia was supposedly located."

-"That's neat.." Mark commented awkwardly at the sudden memory that someone really  _did_ get stabbed. "Wait... how do you know the guy that got stabbed?"

-"Blake? Oh...he and I used to.."

-"Date?" Mark suggested, raising an eyebrow.

-"No! No no, we used to flirt all the time... and then he found himself in love with one of his Frat Brothers and... well... I was there for him to cry on."

-"Oh..." Mark replied, suddenly feeling a little macho as he inhaled deeply at the thought of someone flirting with Jack.

Once they neared the large crowd around the four houses, they heard a shout to their left and saw some guy in a bright blue tank top run over to them with a giant smile. He was about Jack's height and he was... interesting. He was wearing Bermuda shorts and his bright blue tank top, his hair was almost perfectly swooped up to a diagonal direction and his smile was a daze.\

_"Blake!" jack had greeted with a returning smile and they hugged. Too long and too close for Mark's comfort. He puffed his chest out slightly and looked at Blake with a small smile. Blake stuck his hand out and Mark shoot it firmly.

-"Is this your roommate?" Blake asked, looking at Jack deviously."

-"yes, this is Mark." Jack replied narrowing his eyes playfully at the blonde.

-"Nice to meet you, Blake." Mark replied in a baritone voice.-"Well hello there." He replied with a wink. Mark looked at him suspiciously. He had an odd feeling about him. It couldn't have been jealousy because Mark doesn't get jealous.

Okay, he does but that's not what matters right now.

_"Are you guys ready for tonight? I feel like it's going to be epic." Blake said, smiling at the two. Mark nodded his head twice and Jack replied with a question of what was possibly going to happen. 

The blonde went off on a rant of how many things were being discreet this year and how it was all going to be a surprise for all of them by the end of the night. Mark unfocused his attention and noticed Felix rushing through the crowd with a strange form of determination. Mark didn't want to question it.

-"If you have a volunteer, would you pick me?" Jack asked, looking at Blake with a dreamy look -no, a friendly look. It was friendly.

-"Well unless I find somebody as equally attractive as you, I might just." Blake flirted. Mark glanced t him with a narrow in is eyes momentarily. 

-"Hey.. do you know where the food is?" Mark asked, looking at Blake momentarily. Blake turned his attention to him and his flirtatious stare turned into a friendly one.

-"Yeah, it's way over there. I can walk you guys to it if you'd like."

-"No. We'll find it. Thanks though." Mark replied curtly in which he grabbed Jack's arm and led them away. 

-"You can come, he's just jealous." Jack offered. Mark turned his glare at him and he giggled. Blake followed them, accepting the offer. Mark screamed internally

* * *

 

-"Mark's coming over!" Cynthia exclaimed as they were nearing the front of the line.

Matthew turned his gaze to look at three figures nearing them, a blonde guy the size of Jack, Jack, and Mark. They saddled next to them in line.

-"Thanks for saving our spot." the blonde said, slightly louder than he could have and Matthew realized it was a move to make people believe they weren't cutting. It was clever.

-"Who's short, blonde and handsome?" Hanna asked, looking at the new guy. 

-"This is Blake. He's a good friend of mine." Jack introduced.

-"We totally mashed." Blake said with a wink at Jack who laughed.

-"We didn't." Mark entangled his hand awkwardly with Jack's and drew him slightly closer to him. Matthew seemed to be the only one that noticed.

-"What brings you guys here for food?" Cynthia asked.

-"Just hungry." Mark said with a shrug.

-"ah... cause you can't get any hot dog on your own?" Cynthia teased. Mark narrowed his eyes at her and she laughed. Matthew looked at the blonde guy and felt like he knew him before. Probably not, but it was slightly bothering him how this guy seemed familiar.

-"Who wants to take a selfie!" Hanna suddenly exclaimed as she raised her camera and angled it as best as she could. Matthew and Mark had to duck down slightly to get into the frame where they both smiled along with the rest of the others and Hanna took a picture. "Ooh... that was a great one. I'm not adding a filter to that."

-"Oh crap!" Matthew suddenly exclaimed a he got an idea rapidly. "I left my wallet in your dorm room!" 

Hanna was about to question him but she caught on just as fast as he thought of the improvisation.

-"Oh... do you want me to come with you and get it?" Hanna asked, looking at him with a great fake-worrying expression.

-"Yeah, if that's alright with you. They can save our spot."

-"Umm... didn't you forget your key?" Cynthia asked. Hanna cursed and she nodded her head. "I guess I'm going. Save our spots?" She asked.

-"You guys are.. almost to the front. I can pay if you'd like--"

-"no no, it's fine. I'll be back quickly. I think it was on her desk." Matthew said as he got out of line with his accomplices following behind. They quickly darted through the crowd and made their way to a clear path towards the girls' dorms.

-"Nice imrpov." Hanna added to the redhead.

-"Wait,... that was an improv?" Matthew face-palmed on the inside.

They made their way across the lawns, the blaring music leaving behind them as they continued their path to the girls dorms. They were nearing it when Matthew started going over the plan as best as he could to them again as Cynthia got the pick-locking device from her beanie where it hung. She got in in her hand and began practicing in mid air with it as she prepared for their timed act. Once they reached the stairs, Matthew started the timer and they rushed up the stairs to start with their floor first. She did the first door in her record time with three seconds left to spare. They walked in and found it was empty. Perfect. They closed that door, saving them a good amount of time and Cynthia didn't use it to take her time. She opened that one just as quick as the last and they entered to the room, its residents deserted. They began shuffling around some things quickly and put it all back how they thought they found it. They found nothing and locked the door behind them with a magnet Matthew had bought online a week ago.

The next door took a few seconds longer since she fumbled with sweaty hands but they got it done. Someone was sleeping and they quickly closed the door as quietly ad they could.

It went on like this for ten minutes. Fifteen seconds to pick-lock each door, a minute and fifteen to go through the room before they went on to the next. They got tired and they decided they weren't going to find anything in any girls dorms.

-"We should do the guys and then if we have time come check on the girls the next even or something.

-"Fine. But we better hurry." Cynthia warned as they jogged down the stairs and made their way to the boys' dorms.

Reaching there took a while since they had to cross nearly the entire campus but had started on the second floor instead of the third.

Pick-lock, search, leave. Pick-lock, Search, Leave. It was a pattern that they were having an adrenaline rush with. They kept going until they finished the second floor and hopped to the third floor.

They reached Mark and Jack's room. Cynthia realized she was screwed.

-"Uhh... i'm sure there's nothing in their room." Cynthia said suddenly as they closed the previous dorm's room. Hanna raised an eyebrow.

-"We have to check anyway. We're checking mine too. So i'm sure that there's nothing there but it can't hurt to check." Matthew said.

-"Okay but... Mark would never--"

-"Just open the damn door. We're on a time limit, remember?" Hanna said quickly. Cynthia was uneasy but she figured as long as she played the shocked-friend card she'd be fine. She got down and pick-locked the door. She opened it and they entered their room.

They searched. They looked through jack's drawers and found nothing and checked the bathroom with a quick glance.

-"Guys I found something..." Matthew said, Cynthia squeezing her eyes as she was in the middle of looking underneath Jack's bed. She turned to see Matthew pulling out the glossy red cape from underneath Mark's drawers. And his whole suit came right after it. Cynthia acted shocked.

-"Oh my..."

-"Mark's Warfstache?!" Matthew exclaimed. Cynthia gasped and she shook her head.

-"It all makes sense now. The stupid excuses he made to leave at night. God..."

-"But the restaurant... how did he--"

-I guess it was his way of trying to keep me from figuring it out... Jesus christ I could have died!" Cynthia exclaimed. She knew it was him, but she slightly found joy in playing pretend.

-"Does jack have anything?" Matthew asked. 

-"Not that I can tell... I checked under his bed and--"

Wait.

-"Cynthia saw a shiny material and she reached under to feel it was a fabric. She grabbed it and pulled.... revealing a bright green cape.

-"Oh my god.." Hanna gasped. Cynthia stared at the cape in amazement as well. Ut was Sam Septic Eye's cape. And they were living in the same fucking dorm.

-"What are the odds they're--"

-Working together? I doubt it. I saw them throw down in that forest..." Cynthia said. Adn she truly didn;t know about Jack. It was a shocker to her.

-'Wel... that ends our search."

-"Not yet. We still need to find the blue person's things."

-"Okay but... who could it be?" Hanna asked.

-"It doesn;t matter. we wasted too much time here. Let's keep going. Put it back where you found it.

Cynthia tried her best to conceal the cape yderneath the bed as she sort of found it as he placed the red oje underneath Mark's drsser.

They closed the door behind them and went to the next one.

As they reached the dorm two doors from Mark and Jack's, hanna noticed someone was coming to the dorms at a jogging speed.

-:Guys, hurry up. I think someone's coming." Hanna urged as they entered Matthew's dorm and quickly closed it. Matthew turned on the light.

-"There;s nothing on my side of the room, I promise, let's check Felix's." Matthew instructed as they began searching.

\Not half a minute later, Hanna lifted the mattress and was almost blinded by a bright blue light. She yelped and let the mattress flop back.

-"What was it?" Cynthia asked as she lifted the mattress. 

-"I don't know but I think I'm like... blind!"

Cynthia checked again and saw that it was a bright light that encompassed something. Something that resembled a suit....

They heard the door beginning to be unlocked and they froze in their tracks.  Matthew hissed at them to hide underneath the beds. Hanna rolled underneath Matthew's and Cyntia underneath Felix's where she noticed it was a suit, covered by a glass case that was flat and compressed underneath the mattress. Felix walked in and stopped as he saw Matthew.

-"uh... hey.." he said awkwardly.

-"What;re you doing here? Thought you were at that big competition thing..." the Swede said.

-"uh,.. yeah. But I think I left my wallet here.." Matthew explained, sticking to his story.

-"Huh... well I just came to grab a few things and I'll be out of your hair" he said with a chuckle. Matthew hummed in response and went into the bathroom, pretending to do something when Felix double checked that Matt wasn't looking and he lifted the mattress. He touched the glass case and it instantly folded into a little phone and he saw Cynthia staring at him with wide eyes. Felix, statrtled, dropped the mattress and heard her shuffle out from underneath.

-'What the hell?!" He exclaimed. Hanna slid underneath Matthew's bed and the brunette stepped out of the bathroom to see the commotion.

They were screwed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realized this was kinda long... so I'm making a third part! 
> 
> The drama builds!


	14. Campus House | Pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a competitive ambiance fills the autumn air, Mark and Jack start finding out about one another's wild side's,
> 
> Hanna, Cynthia and Matthew start becoming drastic to find information,
> 
> the night unfolds into many shocking secrets being revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MORE STUFFY STUFFING.
> 
> AND THEN IT'S REALLY OBVIOUS WHAT IMA BOUT TO DO.  
> SORRY BUT YOUR FAVE'S ABOUT TAH GO GUYS.

-"What is going on?" Felix exclaimed. Matthew panicked and he swung his fist and hit Felix right on the temple. He toppled over and he fell clumsily.

-"Run!" Matthew exclaimed as the girls stared in shock and then stood up and bolted for the door. Felix quickly followed them and closed the door behind him as they rushed down the stairs. They were running across the lawn directly in front of the dorms when they heard Felix shout and suddenly land right in front of their path. He was glowing.

-"Fuck fuck fuckity fuck FUCK!" Cynthia cried out as they skidded and turned around only to be confronted with someone in a dark hood raising a gun at them.

-"Don't take another step." They said, words sharp like a diamond blade.

-"Fight me!" Cynthia shouted as she somersaulted and punched the person right in the gut where they doubled back and held their stomach in pain. Felix launched some projectile that imploded the ground right by Cynthia and she screamed as she stood up and sprinted, letting the others follow her lead. They kept running before a silent gunshot, probably silence by a silencer, had rung out causing Cynthia to fall to the ground. Matthew and Hanna stopped in their tracks to help her up when Matthew felt a sharp blow on the back of his head and he collapsed. The last thing he remembers is seeing the other two girls fall down with him as the strange dark feeling clouded his vision and put him to sleep.

* * *

 -"So.." Mark said awkwardly" they must be taking a while huh?"

-"Yeah, I guess so." Jack mumbled.

After the others had left for... around thirty minutes, Felix claimed he was going to go find them. Everyone was alright with that and they had decided to get out of line, leaving Mark and Jack with Blake who soon departed claiming it was about to be time for this act to come on. Jack said goodbye and Mark ignored the pang of jealousy that Jack hugged him as he left.

They saw the previous act's sorority girls, who had thrown pie at one of the fraternity boy, eave the stage. Everyone milled around as some guy announced the next 'challenge' will be in a few minutes. Everyone clapped respectively and moved around to find friends and get more food and beer. Mark and Jack were in the middle of the large crowd, ready to see Blake and his frat brothers pull some drastic act. 

The wind was picking up a slight bit but it came and went as it please, like the people that milled around. Jack wasn't wrong when he said it would be cold, Mark could already see his breath every time he let out a sigh or let out some of his exhaustion in the form of deep breathing. It was, both, mesmerizing and slightly shocking. He checked his Snapchat to see that the temperature was at 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Mark was surprised since he felt slightly warm, then again he was wearing warm clothing even if he felt a chill every time the wind caught him. 

-"What're you thinking bout?" Jack asked, nudging him slightly.

-"A really beautiful man..." Mark replied with a day-dreamy smile.

-"Oh... who's that?" Jack replied with a smirk.

-"Mark Wahlberg" Mark said, bursting into giggles. The brunette beside him giggled with him as well.

-"Oh god, I thought you were going to say your boyfriend." Jack said breathlessly. And then he stopped laughing and looked at Mark in horror at what he just said. Mark, however, hadn't realized it was necessarily a mean comment until Jack stopped laughing. And then it sunk in.

-"Oh. N-no.. not him.." Mark said, voice decreasing.

-"No no no! I n'mean it like that. Oh god i so sorry." Jack rambled apologetically.

-"It's fine. It's fine.." Mark said with an encouraging smile. Jack remained uneasy after that for a few minutes.

As they stood there, legs slightly starting to burn, people started to clap and whoop again as one of of Blake's presumable frat brothers had grabbed the mic attached to the speakers behind him and tapped it twice.

-"So we're having some minor difficulties since one of our performers had decided to go out for a stroll so we'll be another few minutes. I hope everyone's excited!" He cheered on as many people rose their cups. Mark raised an eyebrow at the bystanders and chuckled. Jack, however, let out an appreciative whoop along with the rest of the crowd.

Out of all the frat boys standing a few feet behind him, next to the controlled fire pits that were on both sides were four other guys. None of them resembled Blake.

* * *

 

Quite frankly, she didn't know at all what was happening since her leg hurt like a bitch and she was physically exhausted. She suddenly realized she was being moved. More accurately, she was being dragged away and it was scaring the hell out of her. She decided to be smart and not panic since she read in a book once that if you're being in some form of kidnapping, if you move you will alarm the predator and they will put you back down or will hurt you even more. So she stood still. It was dark, making the idea that her eyes being open wasn't a bad idea but she should squint them so that it seems like she's still asleep. She tried using her five senses to determine what was happening. She felxed open her hands and found that they were cuffed by zip-ties. She felt around and she felt blades of grass brusing underneath her palm, underneath a rough frabric that expanded like a strand on some parts of her leg and arms. A net. 

She listened to the sound of her body being dragged and the sound of footsteps, the ones presumably dragging her away in this net. She wasn't trapped in it though, it seemed like it was only holding the back of her limp body so she could probably break for it. But her leg. She cursed inside and realized that her leg was slightly throbbing.

-"God you're a heavy girl.." the voice said. She was personally offended and was about to make a witty remark but she held her tongue in realization that she had to play dead. Her leg was bandaged, but her favorite jeans were cut right below the knee.

' _There goes track season_ ' she thought to herself. 

As the footsteps grew much slower up until a sudden stop, she figured they reached their location and she closed her eyes, realizing them so that he didn't notice she was moving her eyeballs wildly underneath her eyelids. This was scaring her a bit. She didn't know if she was going to die or not. It lied in the hands of her capturer.

-"In we go." he muttered as she felt herself being dragged slightly faster and then she was sliding upside down deeper into a chute of some kind. She was panicking now and was afraid she would crack her head at the end of the tunnel and die.

Thankfully, she took a sharp turn that her leg did not appreciate, blooming with more pain and she ended up falling onto a mattress. With a small thud, she landed and felt herself roll twice before she felt her body sinking and then she fell off the mattress. She landed with a small ouch and she opened her eyes as she lay facedown.

It was a mistake since she saw a lifeless pair of eyes staring right back at her and a few flies buzzing around the decaying face. Cynthia screamed in terror and rolled to turn away from the face. The area stunk of something rotten (probably the body she just encountered) and like piss. She gagged slightly as she accustomed to the new smell when she heard a scrape behind her and she assumed the lifeless body was reanimated and resurrected from its decomposing state to eat her brains. She tried rolling away as the scraping grew closer, but to no avail as she felt a hand grab her arm and roll her back face up to see a dirty looking person stare back at her.

-"p-please... help us..." he whispered, eyes wild with fear and face dirty with a black dusty substance. Cynthia stared at them with wide eyes when they saw them being pulled away and she heard grunting as two men presumably fought. She heard them grunting and punching one another until one body thudded against the cement floor and they groaned in defeat. Cynthia tried rolling way again before being pulled back again.

-"Get back here you dumb bitch." they muttered as she looked at a much cleaner person.

-"Who the fuck are you!" She rasped out loudly. She felt her mouth was dry but she didn't pay attention to that as she went on, "Where am I?! What is this place?! Jesus fucking christ what is that dead bod--!" she shouted out questions before she felt a hand cover her mouth and another grab her throat tightly.

-"Shut the  _fuck_ up, bitch!" he hissed. She started making choking noises and he let go of her. He looked at her with vengeful and raging eyes unlike the other man's wild ones.

-"Sorry.." she whimpered.

-"This... is a hell. This is where we sit to die. All because we have a connection to one person." they said to her, raising one finger to emphasize their point. "a person with superpowers..."

-"What the--"

-"He takes their friends. He uses them as bait and then he extracts their power so that he can have all of them. It's all some sick twisted form of harnessing power. I don't know why he does it. But I feel like Daisy here did. That's why she's under the bed like that."

Cynthia took a minute to process this for a minute. She was shocked at what she was hearing. Mark... Jack... Felix... they were all here to get screwed over. God knows who else at this prestigious college was going to lose the one thing that made them better or more special than everybody else. To some it could be a blessing... to others... it could mean the world...

* * *

 

-"Where's Blake?" he asked for the third time to himself. Mark was not as concerned as his companion, but he still searched the stage and crowd for the blond-haired fellow.

-"I still can't see him." Mark announced to Jack. The smaller of the two was staring with confused eyes around them. He didn't understand. Why would Blake invite him to something he couldn't even be a part of?

-"And what is taking tha others so long?" Jack asked, looking behind them to see no apparent sign of this either.

-"Wanna go look for them?" 

-"Sure."

-"Let's! Get! Started!" the crowd cheered around them as they pushed and excused themselves out of the heating mass of students.

When they finally broke into fresh air and made their way calmly towards the girls' dorms, the night was still as fireflies buzzing around as they walked. It was almost peaceful and a drowsy shift in the temperature made it bearable for the cold and warm enough to rest.

Then they saw a figure, covered by  dark hood and jacket standing in their way in the distance. Jack tilted his head to side in wonder at the strangely ominous figure when they raised their arm and a bright blue light shot out and knocked them backwards, falling on their backs.

-"The fuck?!" Mark cursed as he quickly stood up. Jack thought he saw fireflies in his eyes when he was knocked back again at another strangely burning ball of light. Jack clutched at his chest to see it wasn't burnt but it was definitely smoking. Like ice.

-"Oi! Tha hell is yor proble--"

Another one and Jack was slowly losing his temper. Jack rolled his body in order to stand up when he saw a large flash of fire fly past him and toward the hooded figure. Jack turned around to see nothing. Then he heard fighting and sounds of loud _fwoosh_ -ing and he turned to see a large flaming figure flying above the hooded figure that threw sharp gusts of that blue light. Jack connected the dots at that instant that Mark was no longer at his side, and the fiery figure was suddenly there.

-"Wait a minute, Mar--"

And he was hit with a powerful gust of energy. His chest tingled with a spark of energy when he stood up once again to see the flaming figure lying on the ground. The hooded figure was making their way toward Jack now. He threw balls of goo, wines, and anything he could to stop the masked figure but they were deflecting it all with ease. Jack stared at them with fear before they chuckled and tilted their head.

-"Wow... it's like I know you or something.." the familiar voice taunted. "haha...because I do..." Felix took off his hood and Jack stared in shock at what he was seeing. Then he felt himself being dragged by the collar and Jack watched as Felix was watching him go before turning his attention to Mark on the ground.

-"Fuck! No! Mark!" Jack shouted helplessly as he was being pulled away, he tried looking up to see his kidnapper but his face was shoved away before he could get a good look. Then as he they suddenly stopped, Jack heard a cranking sound and he felt himself falling backwards down a chute, possibly leading to his death.

Jack landed on a mattress and rolled off of it before he landed with a groan. He opened his eyes and readjusted to the bright purples and blues that flooded around him. Large glass vats of bright colors filled the room and Jack stared at many of them. Some were filled with liquids, others with people. Jack was taken back by the sight. He heard the sound of someone coming down the chute and he braced himself for Mark's weight when instead he got someone to land right on top of the side of his knee and felt it suddenly burst into pain.

-"Woops. Sorry bout that." Felix said as he kicked his shin for good measure.

-"Fe... why are ye--"

-"Doing this? Hmm, isn't that the question of the hour. Why am I doing this? Who am I really? What is the meaning of life? Blah blah blah, I've heard them all and you're just as much of a cliche as the actors in the movies." He snapped. Jack was frightened by the change of joyful, laid back Felix to the dark and demanding one.

-"What is this place?" Jack asked.

-"Your final resting place, that's all you need to know." He said with a smirk. Jack tried sitting up when he felt Felix slam him back down with his foot. "Don't move, Jack. It'll make the introduction much easier. For the both of us."

Jack laid there in wonder and anxiety. What introduction? What really is this place? Was he going to die here?

Another body coming down the chute and then Jack heard a grunt as someone successfully stayed on the mattress.

-"Perfect! the gang's all here!" He exclaimed before he went to fetch a walkie-talkie and pressed down on the button to have a quiet conversation with the person on the other line.

-"J-jack.. where's Jack..." he heard a baritone voice mutter above him.

-"Mark! Mark, i'm down here!"

-"J-Jack..?" his spaced out voice called out.

-"Yes Mark! I'm down here!"

-"J-jack... I-i love you.." He muttered before he laughed weakly. "God.. i fuckin' love you.."

Jack didn't understand why it sounded like a statement, but felt like a goodbye. And that kept him on edge.

* * *

 

A plan. She had a plan to escape. She didn't know where Hanna and Matthew were. But she did know she has a plan.

 _They're probably dead like Daisy over here. But hey, if you fuck up this time you could join the party!_ Cynthia's ugly subconscious said. She rolled her eyes...at herself. Wow she really did hit rock bottom, didn't she?

-"Get ready..." the dusted man, who's name he figured out was John, had muttered to the group of four.

You see, there were five people that were somewhat alive, the dusty man that attacked her, the man that saved her, another man who never spoke, a woman that was sitting next to the door who looked as if she could barely walk, and a young boy. There were 5 bodies that had been left to decompose.

-"So what exactly happened to the rest of the dead people?" Cynthia asked.

-"They tried escaping and prevailed. Simple as it gets, really." the cleaner man explained.

Now they were all in their places as the others had developed a plan to escape, but they needed a fresh new prisoner to help. Cynthia was unfortunately that person. 

A knock at the door came and it was swung open as a hooded figure walked in.

-"My lovelies!" he greeted as he walked in and dropped a bag full of supposed food. The younger boy walked toward the hooded person and asked if they could use the restroom. "Well sure! C'mon, buddy. can't let you run yourself." he mumbled as he was leading them out. He closed the door behind them and everyone let out a sigh.

-"Okay, if he does what's asked, we'll be golden." The dusty man mumbled as he grabbed a half-eaten chicken leg from the large sack bag. 

A few seconds later, they heard the door unlock and he walked in with the younger boy walking obediently back into the room when the dusty man stood up and threw the bone in his face.

-"I want more food!" he demanded.

-"Sit your ass down, old man. Before you end up like the rest of your little 'friends'" the hooded figure snapped back venomously, unlike the tranquil tone he used with the boy.

-"No you shut up!" Cynthia exclaimed as she stood up. She stared at the hooded figure who looked at her with a darkness in his voice as he said:

-"I suggest you sit down before things he get ugly."

-"Fight me, asshat." She snapped. The man reached behind him when the clean man pulled out a stake that was sharpened and he used the length of it to slash at the figure, he stumble back slightly in shock.

-"The hell-?" he began to exclaim when the silent man rose up in speed and tackle the hooded figure.

-"Eth-ree-bud-ee wun!" he exclaimed. Cynthia realised he had his tongue cut off. Everyone charged out, the young boy helping the frail woman as they started making their way past the door into a large hallway.

-"Go go go!" the dusty man shouted as they heard gunshots far behind them and he stood behind, prepared to fight their capturer. They kept moving as they heard another round of gunshots and they finally turned a corner, hearing bullets smack the brick walls uselessly. It was near pitchblack and they heard mice squeaking as they shuffled/jogged past.

-"Fuck, where's the exit to this place?!" Cynthia exclaimed before they reached  a small set of stairs. They took them as they heard sprinting behind them and they reached a door that they were able to push open with ease. They stumbled into a small cottage. The clean man grunted as he was shot in the leg and he collapsed.

-"Fuck fuck fuck! Help!" He exclaimed. The younger boy was running towards him when another gunshot sounded and the boy fell to the ground in a lifeless fashion.

-"NO!" the clean man exclaimed as he tried standing up and closing the door behind him with his good leg. The door shut and he slowly stood up. "C'mon let's g--ah" he began to say when the frail woman suddenly pulled a knife underneath her shirt and slit his throat.

-"Holy shit!" Cynthia exclaimed when the door was pushed open and the woman was shot, falling to the ground with a light thump.

Their hoodie was off but their face was covered by the dark side of the room, only some moonlight shone through the small opening where a window should be in the cottage.

-"hehe... and the soul survivor is.."

-"Oh shut up." She snapped as they chuckled. "You're disgusting if you think you can lock us all up for no good reason."

-"Oh sweetheart... every mastermind has a good reason to their actions.." he taunted darkly.

-"You're such a coward." Cynthia hissed, looking at the dark side of the room with anger.

The other person in the room gave a dark chuckle. 

-"Oh please..." he replied with a deadly flirt, "I'm not the coward. You are..."

-"Well then show me your face, fucker.." Cynthia snapped back as she reached for the board with the nail behind her slowly.

He let out another dark chuckle and revealed themselves into the light that poured into the basement.

Cynthia gasped and stared at him. She couldn't believe it. 

He raised the gun in a flash and gave her a smile. 

-"Who's the coward now?" Blake said with blood splattered lightly across his face. 

He fired at the gun as it hit her straight between the eyes and she crumpled, completing the manslaughter of the six people that tried to escape his dark clutches.

He stepped over her body, as well as the others', and he left the small cottage to rejoin his partner in crime to finish his master plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I guess it was pretty obvious but  
> NOOOO, MY MAIN FAM DIED :(((
> 
> Oh well. It's instances like these where writers need a good way to keep the plot going.


	15. Flint And Steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an effort to save themselves and the remainder of their friends, Matthew and Hanna fight against time to save Mark, Jack and Felix from the corrupt hands of one of their friends. Can they do it? Or will they lose it all to the mastermind behind their demise?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER AND OOOOMMMGGGGG  
> IT WAS LONG AND TOOK FOREVER BUT IT'S FINISHED!!  
>    
> *SCREAMING*  
> WOOOOOOOOOOO  
> LET'S PUT IT AALLLL TOGETHER!

Matthew Patrick knew he was destined for great things. But he didn't expect he would end up lying on the floor wondering what his life had come to.

Literally, he was lying on some concrete floor with no intelligible idea where he was, what time it was, or what day it was. It felt like he'd been in the pitch black room for years on end. It was really only a couple of hours.

As the night dwindled on, he could sense that someone had come in to check on them and he didn't even open his eyes for it. Hanna had been shaking him incessantly to get him to wake up and he remained motionless for a good amount of time. He was thinking about his life before this. About his old high school crush and how they later dated, about being one of the highest students in his class, about grudgingly having to come to college. 

He was recounting his best and worst moments as he sat there, waiting for his kidnapper to come and drag him out of the room the same way he was dragged in. He waited momentarily as he heard footsteps outside where he expertly located with his ears and heard the metal door open as it made it's unhappy squeak.

-"Aww, look at you. Huddled in the corner like some animal that's been abused." The same voice said. Matthew remained still.

-"You're a monster.." He heard Hanna snap.

-"No... I'm just smarter than all six of you combined." The man snapped before he cackled. "Oh well, at least now there's four of you." 

-"The hell does that mean?" 

-"Oh well you see, Nosy Pants over here is most likely unconscious or dead. And your pretty little redhead friend decided it'd be fun to try and stop me." 

Matthew could practically hear them smile.

-"But soon.. there will only be you, where you'll be left to starve to death and rot in these long-forgotten chambers." He said with fake-pity. Hanna spit at him and he heard loud scuffling before he heard her yelp and fall next to him. "If you're lucky, that is." He grunted before Matthew heard a loud smack and Hanna whimpered. 

The door slammed shut and she sniffed before she began shouting and kicking the wall like she had been for an hour before the man entered. Matthew waited patiently for a moment to finally open his eyes and greet the hell he now knew he would spend the rest of his life in.

Further along into the hours of darkness, the man returned and this time with a weapon. Hanna was whimpering and screaming for her life as the man approached her and Matthew decided now would be a great time to finally "wake up".

-"Get away from her!" He shouted bravely.

-"What in the world--? Hey, you should be de--" the blonde guy they saw back at the competition exclaimed before Matthew sprinted and tackled him at full force. He was never good at football, but he figured that this was probably a tackle amazing enough to impress his old teammates and coaches. He slammed him into a wall where his head gave a good knock against the concrete. Hanna pulled Matthew up and she took the guy's knife.

-"You fucking ass, I thought you were dead too!" She scolded as they ran out of their prison.

Twisting through corners and stairs, they eventually ran into a door that had a pulling handle. When they reached it, they heard Blake shouting far behind them. They went through the door and ended up in some bathroom. As the door silently closed behind them, it looked more like a house than an actual campus dorm building if anything.  They walked out of the restroom and looked out one of the windows to realize they were in the fraternity house. They were looking out of the windows when they heard the bathroom door thrown open and they quickly scrambled through a kitchen and out a back door. 

The main events were clearly on the front since the back was nearly empty. They sprinted randomly around the house until they reached the crowd and Hanna hid the knife inside her boot.

They pushed and hurried through the crowd, occasionally looking behind them to see a patch of blonde hair following their water trail in the sea of people. 

-"Duck down." Hanna commanded. They did as such and watched Blake push and shove his way past them without realizing it. They took that as a win and followed him instead to confuse him. As he stopped and took a quick bizarre look around realizing he "lost" them, he grunted and continued making his way through the crowd until he broke free. The other two quick behind his heels at a safe distance.

* * *

 

When Felix stated he had to go use the restroom, Jack took that opportunity to try and stand up to check on Mark. The, now bright-haired, man was laying on the torn up mattress looking weak and drained. He had his hands cuffed with zip ties and his hands were covered in a black ash. His clothes were slightly burned with a few holes in them. His shoes were gone, along with his socks. Jack straddled his legs and looked down at him, to hold his face between his hands.

-"Mark? Mark!" He exclaimed at him. He gave his hands a few pats as his eyes opened, droopy but open. 

-"J-jack?"

-"Mark, oh thank god yer awake." He exhaled as he hugged him. He coughed a few times and Jack immediately let him go. "Oh shite, I'm sorry."

-"D-don't be." He replied, his voice strained. "You have n-nothing to be sorry for. I should be sorry.." He whispered.

-"No.. no no no, you shouldn't be sorry for anything. Look, Mark. I'm going to be honest. I'm laying it all out on tha table. Right now."

He looked at him with confusion before the other went on:

-"I'm Sam Septic Eye." Jack admitted. It felt like a weight was off his chest now that he said it. "I'm... I'm the person you were fighting with in the night sky even after we shared cologne and food with at the dorms.." 

Mark looked at Jack before he started laughing, dull, but it was still a laugh.

-"Oh god.. y-you don't know how ha-happy I am to here that.." Mark said before he looked at Jack with deep, caring eyes. "I'm assuming that y-you're saying this because y-you figured out m-my identity."

Jack chuckled and he smiled at Mark. His red hair was slowly being replaced by that of a dull, fading pink starting at the ends. Jack stared at his hair before looking down to see his eyes change from a soft red into a dull gray.

-"no no.... no no no, Mark stay with me." Jack pleaded as he shook him.

-"Jack let me.. let me go.." he whispered with a smile. Mark's body heat was slowly depleting and Jack didn't know what to do.

-"No no. NO! Don't you  _dare_ go out on me like this, Fischbach!" 

-"Jack.. it's okay.." He tried to convince the Irishman.

-"No! No it isn't okay. Mark you're... you're not leaving me!" He said as tears began to roll down his face and fall onto Mark's. Mark was smiling at him softly as his hair was quickly being replaced by that dull pink.

-"I'm not leaving you... I'll be with you. I'll  _always_ be with you..." he whispered.

-"Mark... no.." Jack pleaded before he did the unthinkable and swooped down to kiss Mark. His lips remained warm and his breath was slow, but the kiss carried as much meaning as they both wanted it to. Jack pulled back and watched Mark slowly open his fading hazel eyes stare into his icy blue ones.

-"I've always wanted to do that again.." He whispered. Jack's tears were pouring now and he sniffled twice. Mark was smiling dumbly at him as his life faded out of their grasps. Jack suddenly felt a pair of arms pull him off of Mark and drag him away from the mattress.

-"MARK! MARK! NO! Felix let  _me go_! MAARRKK!!" Jack shouted uselessly as he was dragged farther and farther away from his friend. His lover. His roommate.

-"And into the tank we go!" Felix said, with sadistic joy. He threw Jack into one of the large cylinders and closed the door on him, locking it. Jack was staring at the matress and watched Mark slowly outstretch his arm, his face turned to see Jack. Jack was slamming his fists against the green glass and shouting and crying. 

-"Mark! MAARK!"

-"Now you can  _both_ see one another die!" Felix said with fake-sympathy. He Awe'd in a cruel fashion before he flipped a level next to Jack's tank and a cold water started to shower down from the top of the cylinder. Jack was still pounding at the glass, his hits become weaker and weaker. He tried using his powers to free himself but it was to no avail. 

-"Mark.. I love you too..." Jack whispered even if he couldn't hear him. Jack was leaning against the glass weakly as he kept his hand pressed against the surface as water began to reach his ankles.

* * *

 

Hanna and Matthew were carefully following Blake in the dark, the moon high on the rise as he went around the corner of the science building and they quickly followed. As they turned the corner, he had disappeared. They spun themselves in a circle to realize he hadn't just randomly sprinted away, but he must have gone through the wall. They felt up the side of the Science building until Hanna gave a small push and heard a click. She backed away from the wall and saw a door open. They looked at one another before nodding simultaneously and walking in. The door closed behind them silently and they were stuck in a cramped staircase that led down. They silently went down until they saw an opening to their left and took it, leading into a large hallway where they saw Blake turn a corner at the other end. They followed in pursuit as they saw a green/blue light flooding in the from corner and they went around it to suddenly back track and hide behind the corner.

-"What's the news, Kjellberg?" 

-"Y'know, you're the only person here other than them that have gotten my last name right. And my roommate. By the way, how is the poor bastard?" they heard Felix say.

-"Fuckin idiots got away. I figured he was dead since the girl ate all the food and he stayed in the same position the entire time. But then he just sprung back to life and they got away. Lost them at the event." Blake muttered as he pounded the table in frustration.

-"That was smart of you by the way. To put all of this together at the same time, i mean."

-"Yeah... I guess I am kinda clever, aren't I?" Blake said falsely, knowing damn well he knew he was superior to the other male.

Matthew looked at Hanna and she shrugged. They crouched and peered around the corner together to see them standing around some table, their backs towards them.

-"I handled Jack, by the way." Felix added.

-"Oh yeah? What about hot stuff?"

-"He's practically dead. I guess the only thing keeping him alive is Jack as they stare at each other from across the room. Pfft, you should've heard him." Felix taunted " 'Mark! Come back, Mark! Noooo!' " He mocked in a girly tone. They snickered at the moment and Hanna had to pull back Matthew from running at them.

-"Well. It'll all end soon. I'll extract all of your powers and this world will definitely see peace once I'm done getting rid of the bad.." Blake muttered.

-"All of our powers?"

-"Err... except you, of course." Blake quickly added. Felix nodded his head in approval and even the two people hiding could tell Blake wasn't going to keep on those words.

As they both moved out of sight to check on something, Matthew and Hanna stood up and looked at one another in worry. 

-"They've got Mark and Jack in there!" Hanna hissed. 

-"I know. We need to be smart on getting them out of harms way." Matthew replied. They racked their minds together before they looked at each other and Hanna had a bright idea.

-"We wing it. Grab any weapon we can and I'll try to distract them while you Mark, then Jack." Hanna said, looking at the taller man expectantly. He looked at her with thought before he sighed and nodded his head. They stood there for a few seconds before they heard:

-"Wow, you two clearly do not understand the term of freedom, do you?"

They froze and eyes widening as they both stepped out and watched them with malicious eyes.

-"Make this easy for one another and just come to us in surrender." Blake said. They all had a stare off before Hanna gave in and threw her arms meekly.

-"Fine. Whatever." She mumbled. Matthew looked at her in shock before she turned around and winked at him. Matthew understood immediately and he followed behind her quietly.

-"Good job. Now go bed over the table over here and put your hands behind your backs." Felix commanded. Blake slammed Hanna's head against the metal on purpose as she did as such.

-"oops." He said with fake-care. He tied her with zip ties and Matthew had to suddenly straighten himself and they prepared themselves to fight.

-"calm down, I just need scratch my leg." Matthew announced as he stretched down to lift up his jeans and scratch his leg as he said so. The other two men snickered and shifted their attention to Hanna as she wiggled a little to get used to the ties. At that same instant, Matthew snatched the knife from her shoes and quickly hid it in his jacket sleeve. 

He bent over the table and put his hands behind his back respectively, he felt one of them stand behind him to tie his hands together when he unsheathed the knife and turned around to slash at Felix, who now had a neat little cut on his cheek.

-"You little shit!" He shouted as he swung his fist and Matthew aimed for his stomach and lifted him up, tossing him on his shoulder. He turned around and slammed Felix down on the table.

-"Fucking--! Felix!" Blake shouted as he charged at Matthew. Hanna kicked out her leg and hit Blake right on the side where he fell over. Hanna got the zip tie cut off and she immediately ran the opposite direction of Matthew as they hid behind the large cylinders. The other two men regained themselves and started searching.

-"Where are you little shits?!" Blake exclaimed.

-"Come out, come out wherever you aaree.." Felix taunted. Matthew hopped behind each tank from one to the next before he looked around one of them to see a mattress and a bulky person laying on it, arm outstretched. Their chest rose slowly so they were still alive. Matthew took account of the other men ducking between cylinders to look for them and Hanna still remained behind the same one she hid behind originally. Matthew had a few seconds before they found him. Hanna suddenly sprinted and hid behind one they just looked behind. 

Hanna was busy looking for Jack's tank as she carefully scanned the ones she could see. Finally, she spotted one that had water filling into it, almost rising past Jack's hips. Hanna darted forward as quietly and discreetly as she could. They were getting closed and closer to Matthew by the second and she had to act quick. As she reached his tank she looked for a way to open it and she realize all she had to do was turn a key, that was ridiculously still in the key hole, and push on the glass so it would open.

-"Hey!" Felix shouted as she saw her. He fired a beam of light with hit her, but she kept herself planted on her feet as she turned the key successfully. Another blast and she almost fell again. He was sprinting now and all she had to do was open the door...

...which opened, releasing water and its captive inside. Felix fired another beam, striking Hanna on her head as she fell to the ground, cluthcing her ears as they ringed painfully and her eyes burned.

-"Back off, Felix!" Jack yelled as he flung shrapnel of green crystals at him. The swede created a shield with his forearm, watching as they clattered on the ground and disintegrated.

-"It's two against one, Jackaboy. What're you gonna do?" Felix asked as Blake casually strode to stand by his side.

-"It's me against you, since I can take him out quite easily." Jack replied.

-"Oh really?" Blake inquired as he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head dangerously.

Matthew ran over to the bed where Mark lay and slapped his arm to wake him up.

-"Mark? Mark!" He exclaimed quietly. He opened his eyes weakly and stared at Matthew blearily.

-"oh hey.. w-what are you doing here?" He asked. 

-"Get up." The brunette demanded.

-"Matthew.. I-i can't. Everything h-hurts--"

Matthew stopped listening as he turned around to look for an object he figured he'd need. He saw it lying on a small tray far in the corner, almost right next to where the three men were arguing and taunting one another. Matthew quietly crouched his way there and grabbed a lighter. He crouch-walked back and Mark looked at him confusedly before he turned it on.

-"You need fire, right?"

-"Matthew... it isn't going to last. I'm dyi--"

-"Just shut up! We'll patch you up later!" Matthew hissed. He gave Mark the lighter and watched him eagerly with worry. He stared at the taller man, currently kneeling by the bed, before he looked back at the lighter. He flicked it a few times with weakness before he gave into some small strength to fully light it.

Jack was suddenly blasted across the room as he hit a wall and fell, but soon got back on his feet.

-"Mark!" Matthew urged.

-"Matthew I can't." He tried to justify before Jack crashed onto the ground next to the bed.

-"M-mark." He whimpered. Felix and Blake's attentions were now on them and they trotted toward them like predators for prey.

-"Mark!"

-"Oh I wouldn't do that if I were you." Blake taunted.

-"Mark... stay alive. I-i'll keep you alive." Jack grumbled as he stood up but was hit by another blue light, he fell to the floor in slight pain.

He was torn. He had the lighter in his hand and he didn't know if he should save the others or accept his fate.

-"Mark, please. Or else we're going to di--" Matthew pleaded before he gave in and somehow inhaled the flame through his hand. His body shuddered a few times before he laid still. "Mark? Fuck, Mark?!"

-"Ooh, looks like your plan  _backfired_ " Felix said as he began to chuckle.

-"You fuckin' prick!" Jack shouted as he stood up to try and tackle Felix who was slowly charging his hand. 

Then a flaming figure slammed into Felix, and flew them across the room until they cracked nearly an entire concrete wall.

* * *

 

Mark didn't know how, or why, but he knew he had died. Then he woke up and fired himself up (literally) and did the unthinkable by possibly breaking Felix's spine. After crashing into the wall and a very audible crack echoing in the large basement, they crumpled on a large metal table and Mark stood up to face his other attacker.

-"You wanna go?" Mark taunted. Matthew had a pipe in his hand and held it like a baseball bat as he and Jack backed Blake up until his back hit a tank.

-"You think you guys scare me?" He asked.

-"we  _know_ that we scare you." Matthew snapped.

-"well the joke's on you guys.." Blake said as he smirked darkly. Suddenly, Matthew was thrown back and the lead pipe left his hands as he fell backward. Jack was flung into the air and was held flat against the ceiling. Mark was thrown backwards by surprise and rolled over. He groaned in pain, but was surprised to notice how his wounds from before taking the lighter were gone.

-"how did he--"

-"I'm psychic." He said, his eyes flashing a soft purple. Jack stared, bewildered at his friend's transformation from a nice person to this dark character he never would have imagined.

It all happened at an instant where he dropped Jack and he crashed on the floor in a groan. Mark stood up as Felix shot at him from behind and he had to turn around slowly, his anger resonating from deep inside him and he burst into flames as he started to walk over to Felix who cowered in fear.

Matthew grabbed his pipe and threw it at Blake as he wasn't looking, knocking him on his head where he stuttered in his walk and turned slowly to look at him with an evil smile.

-"shit. Why don't I learn-- frOM THE MOVIES!" Matthew said as he was suddenly thrown into the air to crash into the wall and crumple in a heap of Ow's.

Blake advanced slowly toward Mark and Felix where he separated the latter and pinned Mark down with nothing but air.

-"Someone can't  _seem_ \--" He said, as he created a burn on his wrist. "to mother fucking  _stay_.." he continued as another burn was on his other wrist. ".. _dead_!" M

Mark hissed in pain as he felt the sudden sizzle in his ears as he was left with hand marks burned onto his wrists. Blake had his hands behind his back and was clearly doing it with his mind.

-"Guess i'm one to enjoy being alive." Mark said as he tried to contain his pain.

-"Oh really? Who'd you learn that from? Your father or your boyfriend?" Blake replied darkly. "Correction: Your  _dead_ father and your  _dead_ boyfriend." 

Mark felt his temper rising again when he said those words.

-"Careful now, Mark. We wouldn't want you to blow a vein." Blake taunted as he felt an enormous pressure on his temples and he began to scream at the intensity of it. "...or would we?"

-"Leave him alone!" Jack shouted behind them. Blake turned around, aleviating some, but not all, pain from Mark. 

Jack had Felix bounded by green slime, he had Matthew holding a knife to his throat and he was quivering slightly from rage and fear.

-"We will do it. Without hesitation." Matthew warned.

-"Do it." Blake said simply. He looked completely unfazed by it. 

-"What?!" Felix exclaimed in shock. "After everything?! All that we've done?! Everyone we've  _killed?!_ "

-"Oh please, you were going stack up with the rest of the bodies that lay in my wake. All I wanted was your gift for controlling light and its influences. I could care less about you, Felix." Blake explained. He really was sinister.

-"You're sick! You're an asshole and I hate you! " _Fan ta dig, din jävla fitta!"_ Felix shouted in english, than continued on with something in Swedish.

-"So be it..." he mused as he turned around to return to torturing Mark.

Mark had enough control to launch a fireball into his face, blinding him temporarily as he stood up, free from his grasp and hid behind a random tank.

-"Ah... Markimoo. You're all too clever!" Blake comgratulated with false enthusiasm. "Too bad it wasn't enough to keep your boyfriend alive!"

Another fireball. Another tank he hid behind.

-"So it's the boyfriend that triggers you the most! What was his name? Matt? Matt Wattson?" 

This time, Jack flung crystal shards into Blake's leg were he fell on it in pain.

-"Get triggered on that, ye filthy bastard!" Jack snapped. 

-"Why don't you aim between my eyes next time, Jackaboy?" Blake muttered. "After all, I know I did as your pretty little friend lies dead in woods where nobody will find her until the bears and wolves smell blood and tasty rotten flesh!"

Mark and Jack's blood ran cold at those words.

-"Y-you killed Cynthia?" Felix asked. "You said we were going to keep her there until we convinced her and rest of them to give a bullshit story!" 

-"Oh cause you cared about her." Blake hissed.

-"I didn't, but she was a nice person!"

Mark stepped behind the tank and was flaming again. He threw a fireball in Blake's direction and he toppled over from the force. Mark poured lava out of his hand and it dangerously got close to him.

-"What're you going to do now?" Mark threatened. "Kill me?" he continued as Blake laughed.

-"Of course not! I'll kill the man you love first. Then I'll kill you." Blake replied with darkness in his tone.

-"Not if you're dead."

-"Surprise!" Blake exclaimed before he flung Mark backwards by flicking his wrist. He dried out the lava in seconds and he pulled out the shards out of his leg, the wounds healing automatically. "I won't be dying anytime soon."

Jack flung more shards at hit, the other suddenly glitching like a character in a computer game and disappeared from view.

-"What tha--"

-"Boo." He said behind him as he flung him across the room, landing next to Mark.

They both slowly stood up and began to throw everything they had at him. He dodged a few and took a few. fireballs and greed slime were like visual art to the bystanders as they rapidly flung their abilities to destroy Blake, who seemed to be doing perfectly fine in which he used both his hands for a manuever to blow them backwards and they crashed on the metal table.

-"I-i can't keep doing this." Mark said, tired.

-"I have an idea.." jack mumbled as he made them both stand up.

-"O, round two now?" Blake taunted with a laugh. Matthew was starting to get worried and went in search for the lead pipe. Felix now had his mouth taped and was staring at the fight in awe. He dropped the knife as he searched for the pipe in the corner of the room.

-"we combine our powers." Jack said, slightly out of breath. "We give it all we've got. It might work. If it doesn't, we're screwed." Jack mumbled. Mark nodded his head as they looked at Blake who was motioning with his fingers for them to fight him again. Mark's hands glowed a bright orange before he set himself on fire. Jack's own hands were turning into a tainted green. 

-"ooh, so scary! Is this the past where you two are actual power rangers and turn into a mechanical T-Rex?" Blake said as he laughed wickedly.

-"This is the part in the story..." Mark muttered as he and Jack intertwined their arms together and looked at him simultaneously. "where you die."

Blake prepared himself for whatever was coming as they both shouted in unison. In an instant, a spiraled mix of fire, lava, slime, and crystals were combined and expanded largely going straight for Blake. His eyes widened in fear and tried to create an invisible barrier with his mind as the giant beam began to reach him. It was successful until it started tearing away and he was getting pushed back, his sneakers useless against the concrete. He gave up and was thrown backward against the mattress Mark was in and fell on the floor weakly. He crawled forward with immense pain and he used the bed to help him stand. 

-"Y-you think you guys are so clever?" He muttered weakly as he let out a breathless chuckle. "This is not when i'm supposed to die.." he continued as he limped weakly around the bed.

The other two looked almost fully recovered, even after wasting that much energy and power. They looked at him like trash and they watched him with disgusted pity as he though he could stand a chance against them even at a weak state.

-"This is where you should die. You deserve to, after all that ye've done." Jack said, bitterly.

-"No no no... this is not when I'm supposed to die." He said as he wiped blood from his mouth. Matthew was slowly coming up from behind him with the pipe, slightly busted at one end making it sharp. "And if I do die... I'll make sure to say hello to Daddy Fischbach and Ex-Boyfriend Matt." he snarled with a smile.

Mark lost his temper again and began running at him. Jack tried to hold him back. His fist was on fire as he began to growl deep in his throat, ready to finish him. As both men drew closer to weak figure, Mark raised his fiery fist and Matthew raised the pipe, ready to strike...

...when Blake saw it coming. He used the hand that wasn't clutching at his stomach to summon the last bit of ability he had in him to fade away behind Mark who ran straight into Matthew's makeshift weapon.

None of them saw it coming as Matthew shoved the pipe forward, supposedly striking Blake when it fazed through the glitching version of him and it went straight into Mark's gut. Mark stopped in his tracks as he felt it tear into him. His flame went out and he froze. He looked down at the pipe and at Matthew who stared in horror.

-"Oh god... mark.." he whispered as he let go of the pipe and Mark had a taste of blood rising in his throat.

-"MARK!" Jack shouted as he ran forward, ignoring Blake who now leaned on a tank as he laughed. Felix was shouting through the tape which eventually fell off and he was now screaming insults at Blake in Swedish. Mark collapsed and Jack ripped out the pipe from his stomach and immediately poured some slime into the wound to help heal it.

-"I guess  _this_ is the part of the story where  _you_ die..." Blake said as he laughed weakly. "Say hello to Cynthia for me, Mar--" Blake began to say when a knife slit his throat and his words were gurgled as blood poured onto his shirt and he collapsed into a bloody mess.

Hanna stood over his body with the knife in hand and she looked down at his lifeless body in disgust.

-"No, Blake. This is where  _you should_ die." she said before spitting on him. 

Mark's red hair had returned during the course of events, but it began fading at the tips like had been moments ago.

-"Mark! W-we're going to get an ambulance. A-and we'll get you a-all patched up alrigt? Mark?" Jack said as he didn't know what to do. "C-call an ambulance! Get help! Anybody!"

-"I'm on it." Hanna said as she pulled out her phone and immediately dialed 911 as she left the basement to reach outside. Matthew nodded his head and he cut Felix down from his restraints and they followed her to go find first aid kits in the science building above them.

Jack was left alone with Mark as he sputtered blood.

-"jack... jack..." Mark said, guiding his teary eyes to meet his own. "I love you."

-"No! No you do  _not_ get to say it like it's a goodbye!" Jack shouted as tears spilled down his face for the second time that night.

-"Jack... i'll be fine! I-i'll see Cynthia. And my dad." Mark said as he smiled through his tears. "I'll be fine.."

-"But what about me?" Jack pleaded as his tears fell onto Mark's face. "What about me? I may be surrounded by so many people... but I won't have you. I can't have you anymore if you die on me. And you won't. y-ye can't die on me Mark."

-"I'll  _always_ be with you.." Mark promised. "Don't you worry about that. I'll be with you wherever you go. I will. Cynthia will. We both will."

-"M-mark please... don't go." Jack pleaded as he fell onto Mark's chest and sobbed. Mark placed his arm around him and hugged him closely.

The two laid on the cold floor in silence when they heard someone shout from the entrance to the lair that the ambulance was on the way.

-"Don't leave me Mark." Jack whispered.

-"Remember as much as you can about me.." Mark said as he felt his life slipping away.

-"L-like what?"

-"everything. The things that I-i've accomplished... the fun things we've done. The crazy things... the sweet things..."

-"The wild things we've done?" Jack asked as he lifted himself to look at him. His hair was almost entirely that dull shade of pink again.

-"yeah.. e-especially the wild things...." Mark said. "I want you to gather all of our friends around.. dance around... sing aloud.. and don't pay attention to what others say to you. Don't mourn me forever. I'll be with you..." 

-"O-okay. I can do that..." Jack replied with a whisper as he placed his head against Mark's chest.

-"And d-don't forget that I-i'll always love you..." Mark whispered. Jack nodded his head as he slid his fingers in between Mark's. 

-"I won't. I love you too. I love ye so much, Mark." Jack said as tears returned to his eyes. Jack laid his head back down and sniffed as he enjoyed laying with Mark during his last moments.

he remembered when he first met him and all the memorable things they'd done in the short expanse of being roommates. He laid there in complete silence other than the hums of machinery in the small area.

-"I'm coming, dad. i'm coming..." Mark whispered.

-"What, Mark?" Jack whispered.

No reply.

-"mark?" he repeated as he sat up and saw that the fire in his hazel eyes was now a soft brown. His hair was entirely that shitty grey/pink. He was left with a smile on his face as his life faded from his body. His soul escaping his lips and Jack was left a sobbing mess. "no no no, Mark? MARK!  _MARK! STAY AWAKE. T-THE AMBULANCE IS ALMOST HERE. MARK? MARK!!"_ Jack shouted uselessly as he was left with the love of his life as a corpse before him.

Jack was left with his cries in the room with two dead bodies around him as the paramedics and police ran in with his friends at their side.

It was too late.

* * *

 

**Mark Edward Fischbach**

**June 28 1989 - December 3 2016**

**"What I Do Is Temporary,**

**What I Leave Behind Is Forever"**

Jack stared at the tombstone after he finished talking about how the holidays were. He sat in silence as his eyes cast over the granite that have the last documentation of him on it. Jack pulled out from his coat that was neatly laid on the grass beside him a single red rose. He placed it against the stone and sighed contently.

-"I miss ye, Mark." Jack said as he felt his eyes do that thing where it braces him for the tears. "Junior year isn't the same without ye.." he said as his words broke off before he let out a stuttered exhale as tears formed and began slipping away. 

He held his head as he sobbed silently and he curled in on himself. He hit the ground with his fist weakly.

-"Why'd ye have to go out on me like that, Mark? Why did ye have ta go.." he sobbed before he gathered himself in a short period of time. "You'd be happy to know that I'm getting better. I know that it's been over a year now... but I can't stand the idea of not being with you..." Jack whispered. He got a buzz on his phone and he checked it to see a message from his friend.

_Signe_

_Heyy buddy, you coming over for my New Year's Partaaayyy???? *confetti emoji*_

Jack sent a quick reply and he apologized.

-" Sorry... that was my friend. She's currently sharing the house with the Felix, Hanna, Matthew, and I. She's a nice girl, you'd want to meet her." Jack explained. He sniffed a little as he sat in silence before he stood up and put on his coat. He placed his hand on the tombstone and patted it goodbye. 

Jack got into Mark's old car and pulled out of the parking lot at the cemetery. He drove away as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

All that was left was the single red rose and a green heart next to his name on the tombstone. A small fire ignited on the heart, and all that was left was an ashy black heart. Mark never broke his promise on Jack. He would always be there... until the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO I'M NOT CRYING. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. *INCONSISTENTLY SOBS*
> 
> In all hoenesty tho, this was such a fun story to write and I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as I did. I know I kinda lost it there near the end but it was a struggle that I overcame. I really hoped you all liked it and Ahhh! ALmost 400 kudos! That's amazing!
> 
> If you really licked this story tho, go check out my other cringe-worthy ones or just stay tuned for the Zombie Apoc. AU!  
> Kirbs, out! *dab*  
> Subscribe to me if yu really wanna get updates on other stories of mine whether they're Septiplier-esque or from toehr fandoms I can drag you into. OTheR tHAn thAT. ENJOY LIFE AND IT'S SUBSEQUENT PLEASURES.
> 
> KIRBSTER, OUT!  
> *Drops mic*

**Author's Note:**

> That Kudos button is looking lonely...
> 
> Give it some company ;D
> 
> UPDATES => Around every 3-5 days :D


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